The New Students
by White Angel Chan
Summary: YGO/HP crossover, as promised. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik are invited to Hogwarts; however, dark forces have discovered the existance of the millennium items and plot to use them for their own means...
1. The Discovery

White Angel again. And this is my Yu-Gi-Oh/Harry Potter crossover. Straight story this time: no author notes (save this) and no side story. At the most, I may answer a question.  
  
This story centers around Yugi, Ryou, and Malik's school year. Meaning I will be focusing on them much more that Harry's group. And I may seem to focus on Ryou and Malik a bit more that Yugi at times, but that just happens when I write about my favorite characters.  
  
Takes place after Battle City and may be somewhat of a SPOILER. If you don't want to read what happens at the end of Battle City, skip the rest of the intro, though the story may confuse you later. Yugi has the puzzle and the tauk, which Isis gave him in Battle City. Ryou has the ring and the eye (thought the eye is not "installed" as it was in my "Mutilation" series), and, despite popular belief, he lives through Battle City, at least in the manga. Malik still has the rod in my version for the purpose of involving him in the story. In the manga, Yugi ends up with the rod. The Harry Potter portion takes place after book 4. Storyline: Voldemort has discovered the existence of the Millennium Items and plans to use them to pursue his own evil plans. Meanwhile, Dumbledore finds out that three youths have recently come into some magic. Because of their age, no other school will take them. So Dumbledore extends his hand and invites them to Hogwarts...  
  
Chapter 1: The Discovery  
  
A pale and thin man paced across the dusty floor of an abandoned house. Flames from the blazing fireplace cast shadows across the room. At a table in the corner, a stout, short, sniveling man flipped through the pages of huge book. Several other volumes were stacked next to him. His hand, which appeared to be made out of silver, rapidly scanned the pages as he skimmed over the words. Both men were dressed in long black cloaks.  
  
"Have you found nothing yet, Wormtail?" came the shrill voice of the first man. "My patience is growing thin."  
  
"I am looking, Lord," came the nervous reply of "Wormtail". "I've found nothing that looks like it would do you any good."  
  
"I need a new source of power," the man said, more to himself than to his counterpart. "I shall never get into Hogwarts and have my revenge using the same old tricks."  
  
"I understand, my Lord, I understand well. But I have looked through three Volumes of 'Most Powerful Magic of the Twentieth Century' and I have found nothing!"  
  
"You fool!" shrieked the first man, his scarlet eyes narrowing on his snake- like face. "No modern magic will be of any use! Every witch and wizard at that school knows how to counter modern magic! Check the old texts, the information about the ancient magical races, the Chinese, the Indians, the Egyptians, not this recent trash!"  
  
"Yes, yes, Master!" cried Wormtail hastily. "How foolish of me! I should have known! I'll get on that right away!"  
  
After a few hours passed by, Wormtail paused on the page in front of him. "Master, this might be what we've been searching for."  
  
"What is it?" the thin man replied rather unenthusiastically. He seemed to have little faith in his subordinate.  
  
"It's here in 'Histories of Ancient Magics.' Egyptian artifacts, known as the Millennium items. They contain the forces of darkness and have various powers. There seems to be seven in total."  
  
"Are you quite sure that this is actual truth? It seems as if I have heard this story before."  
  
"It is part of an Egyptian legend, Lord. The book does not say whether or not they actually exist. But if they do, they would be a great asset."  
  
The thin man's interest was peaked. "What sort of powers do these items have?"  
  
"It depends on the item. One contains the spirit of an undefeatable strategist. Another contains the soul of a clever and ruthless thief. One has the power to see the future, another can read minds, and another can control a person's thoughts and actions. One can read truth, and yet another allows you to gain access to a person's mind."  
  
"Interesting," said the thin man. "If these items exist, where can they be found?"  
  
"Egypt, Lord. The book has little information about their exact location, but it says that they are guarded by a tribe of grave-keepers. Or at least they were at the time this book was written. That was over 500 years ago. By now, the items might have fulfilled their prophecy and may be in the hands of their fated possessors, the reincarnated forms of the items' former owners. They could be anywhere. That is, if they actually exist..."  
  
"I have a feeling, Wormtail."  
  
"What's that, my Lord?" Wormtail questioned cautiously. He was obviously intimidated by his master.  
  
"These magical items are out there. Spread the word among my Death Eaters. I want those items..."  
  
....................................  
  
At the Hogwarts School, the ancient headmaster, Professor Dumbledore, sat speaking to a scruffy-looking man when there was a knock at his door. Dumbledore cast a glance at his companion which was answered with an understanding nod before announcing that his new visitor may enter. In stepped Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.  
  
"Dumbledore, may I have a word?"  
  
"You just did," replied the venerable headmaster, "but I suppose you may have a few more. Sit, please. And I will be seeing you at the start of the term, Professor White."  
  
With that, the man stepped out of the room, paying no heed to the Minister, who was obviously not used to being ignored in such a way.  
  
"Might I inquire-"  
  
"He is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Dumbledore answered before the Minister was even able to finish his question. "Now what is it you need, Cornelius? The term will be starting in one month, and I am very busy preparing."  
  
"Dumbledore, I know that we did not part on the best of terms last year, but I ask you to put that aside for now. I am here on business."  
  
"I am always the professional, as you well know," said Dumbledore. "What is your business?"  
  
"The International Magic Counsel has come to me with a problem that I hope you can help with. A special situation. The counsel has detected three youths with extraordinary magical abilities of a variety that has not been seen in centuries. There are adults with this magic, too, but counsel will handle them. It is the youths that we are concerned about. For some reason yet to be determined, this ancient magic has surfaced in them recently. Their power exceeds anything that has been seen in someone their age. The counsel feels that they could be a danger to themselves as well as others without proper schooling. But that is the problem. They are well above the age of beginning students, at fifteen or sixteen years of age. With that and their already high levels of magic with no training whatsoever, the counsel is having a difficult time finding a school that will accept them. None of the wizarding schools in their areas will take them on. They claim they haven't the means to catch such students up with their age group. That is why I was asked to come to you. You have been known for not, uh, discriminating against those who wish to come to your school."  
  
"And so you want to know if I will accept these students," Dumbledore finished, nodding. "Has anyone approached them yet?"  
  
"No. They know nothing of the situation."  
  
Dumbledore stroked his long white beard thoughtfully, a curious look in his eye. "I don't see why these potential students should be deprived of an education simply because they are late starters," he said finally. "I will accept them."  
  
"Wonderful!" Fudge exclaimed. "One less problem. We shall notify the students at once-"  
  
"No," Dumbledore interrupted. "I shall be the one to approach them. I am the person who approaches all of Hogwarts' potential students."  
  
"But Dumbledore, this is a special situation. Surly it is the Ministry that should-"  
  
"The Ministry is so eager to solve the issue of these students that they will sugar-coat everything in order to get them to accept," Dumbledore interrupted again. "I do not want students arriving with no knowledge of the trials and potential dangers that may face them here. These are dangerous times, Cornelius. The students should be prepared, even if it means they turn down the offer. I will send them a letter, first and foremost."  
  
"Dumbledore, this is highly irregular," Fudge fumed. "The situation calls for more than a simple letter."  
  
"That is why I also intend to meet with each one of them, individually and in person," Dumbledore answered. "And I shall make arrangements for them to stay in Diagon Alley as the term nears. Now, may I have the information on these students?"  
  
Fudge continued to fume as he reached in his robe and pulled out three scrolls. He laid them somewhat roughly on Dumbledore's desk and said, "Here you are, Headmaster. If you insist upon handling this yourself, then I leave you with the responsibility. And seeing as you have no more need of me, I shall take my leave. Good luck with the situation and your approaching school year." With that he turned around and exited the same way he came in.  
  
Dumbledore opened and spread all three scrolls out on his desk. He curiously read each one of them out loud to no one but himself. "Hmm... Yugi Mouto, fifteen, of Domino City, Japan. Ryou Bakura, sixteen, of Domino City, Japan. And Malik Ishtal, sixteen, of Cairo, Egypt. That would make them all about fifth or sixth year. I think fifth would be best. It will be easier on them to keep them with their same age group. Other exceptions will have to be made for their lack of experience, but that can not be determined until I know their magic level. Hmmm...Egypt, I know, has a fine school of magic. And most Japanese students attend The Imperial School of Magic and Sorcery in China. Both excellent schools. I wonder why neither would accept them... "  
  
.....................................  
  
"Yugi! Are you going to sleep all day just because you're on summer break?!"  
  
"Not with you around, Grandpa," the violet-eyed youth called back. He reluctantly pulled back the covers and stepped out of bed, stretching and yawning loudly. He commenced his morning ritual of brushing his teeth and hair and getting dressed. He completed his outfit of black jeans and a simple T-shirt by placing the golden millennium puzzle around his neck. Good morning, Yami, he said in his mind.  
  
Must you wake me this early? came the disgruntled answer of the ancient Egyptian spirit.  
  
If I have to get up, you have to get up Yugi laughed. A hatred of early mornings was one of many things that they shared.  
  
Yugi headed downstairs to breakfast. His grandfather already had a cereal bowl out for him, with the milk and box of cereal nearby. It wasn't until after he sat down and began to pour his breakfast that he saw his grandfather examining an envelope.  
  
"What's that, Grandpa?"  
  
"A letter for you apparently," replied the older Mouto, scratching his head. "It's odd, though."  
  
"The post never passes this early," Yugi replied. "Anything else odd about it?"  
  
"See for yourself," said the elder as he tossed the letter to his grandson. Yugi examined it. It was written in perfect Japanese lettering and was addressed to "Yugi Mouto, The Northernmost Upstairs Bedroom, Turtle Game Shop, Domino City, Japan." He raised an eyebrow at his grandfather who just shrugged.  
  
"The return address is in English and is stamped in wax on the back. I don't understand a word of it. Anyway, I have to get to the shop. I can handle it alone today if you want to go out with your friends." With that, the old man exited the small kitchen and headed toward the front and his shop.  
  
Yugi narrowed his eyes at the letter. Yami was equally intrigued, although he seemed to think that it was an invitation to a new tournament. The spirit had grown restless since Battle City with the lack of a challenge. Yugi doubted this was the case. He examined the wax insignia on the back, but the only word he understood was "school" which only baffled him further. He hoped he could understand what was on the inside. English wasn't his best subject. He would have to go to Anzu for help if he couldn't read it  
  
He opened it carefully. He gave a sigh of relief when he saw that the content was written in the same neat writing as his address had been. He began reading:  
  
Dear Mr. Yugi Mouto,  
  
My name is Professor Albus Dumbledore, and I am the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in England. It has come to my attention that you have recently gained a great deal of magical ability, and I wish to extend to you an invitation to attend our fine school. We can teach you much about your new talents if you wish to learn. However, there is much more to tell you than can be said in a letter. I wish to meet with you in person. Please meet me in the center of Domino City Park, by the fountain at four o'clock in the afternoon on Tuesday. I should think I would be quite noticeable. You will know it is me when you see me. Everything will be explained to you in full and all your questions answered at that time. Please do come. I am eagerly awaiting making your acquaintance.  
  
Prof. Albus Dumbledore,  
  
Headmaster  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
'Is this some kind of joke?' Yugi questioned himself. It looked so official. Could it be a joke from Jounouchi or Honda? No, neither of them was good enough to come up with something that creative. Creative plans like this (especially ones involving such occultish themes as witchcraft) seemed more like something Bakura would come up with. But Bakura wasn't one to play tricks, and Yugi didn't think even Jounouchi could convince the white-haired teen to play a practical joke. What do you make of it, Yami Yugi asked.  
  
I don't know. Tomorrow is the day stated in the letter. That doesn't give us much time to think about it. I'm not sure... It may not be safe.  
  
Are you trying to tell me that you think it could be someone YOU can't handle? Yugi said smartly. We know where all the millennium items are, so it's not like it's a dangerous new item holder. I'm sure it's just a joke. Why don't we let them have their fun?  
  
If you insist, Yami replied. But I want you to wear the puzzle so I'll be there if there is any trouble.  
  
Yami, I'm sure this is either a sudden burst of creativity on Jounouchi and Honda's part, or a sudden mischievous urge on Bakura's part. I mean, whoever heard of a wizard school?  
  
....................................  
  
R&R!  
  
More to come when the torments of the Hell that is my English III Honors class let up. 


	2. Opportunity Knocks

Review responses:  
  
The answers are somewhat of a SPOILER. This is your warning.  
  
No, there will be no couplings in this story.  
  
Malik didn't die in Battle City. He survives but he gives his rod and God card to Yugi.  
  
And As far as I know, Bakura keeps the millennium eye, but yes, Yugi did have the ring for a while. He wasn't going to tell Ryou that he had it (Yami Malik had taken it when he defeated Yami Bakura and Malik gave it to Yugi at the end of Battle City), but Ryou found it and put it on again. I really wish I understood Japanese so I could find out what reasoning possessed him to do that, no pun intended.  
  
Chapter 2: Opportunity Knocks  
  
It was a clear night with a half moon casting just enough light to see by. A solitary teen boy sat at the open window of his home, staring out at the night. He had wide, thoughtful brown eyes and hair whiter than the moonlight itself. In his hands was a letter, written in perfect Japanese lettering. He turned from the window to read it for at least the fiftieth time that day. He sighed heavily.  
  
Please may I go, Yami? Just to see what it's about?  
  
I've told you, no, Ryou, came the reply from the back of his mind. You know it is nothing more than a trick. I will not be made a fool of.  
  
But on the off chance that it is real-  
  
You are far too naïve. The millennium items are the only source of magic this day and age. Mortals don't have natural magic anymore. How could there be a school for it?  
  
Ryou continued to gaze longingly at the letter. An invitation to a new school and a request for a meeting at one o'clock the next day. He so wanted for it to be true. If he could be accepted for what he was anywhere, surly this was the place. And England was where he was born. If this was a joke, it was a cruel one.  
  
I don't see what harm it would do to just go see, Ryou said, unwilling to give up. I can always leave the ring at home if you don't want to be a part of it.  
  
Oh, yes, like I am really going to let you do that, Yami Bakura replied sarcastically. If you insist, I'll allow you to go, but you'll be punished it this turns out to be a waste of time.  
  
Ryou cringed. "Punished" could be so many things. His Yami was not as cruel as he was before Battle City ended, but he was still not exactly a nice guy. "Punished" could mean anything now between polishing the millennium ring and being completely possessed for a week, whatever Yami Bakura happened to be in the mood for. But Ryou didn't really have to worry about waking up with strange knife wounds anymore (unless his Yami got him into a bar fight), so...  
  
Alright, he agreed.  
  
....................................  
  
On the other side of the globe, the blonde-haired, lavender-eyed youth known as Malik Ishtal was just getting up. The harsh sunlight streaming through his window almost made him wish he still lived in the Underground. At least it was cooler there.  
  
Malik sat up reluctantly and pulled on the pair of jeans that he found at the base of his bed. He could care less if it was the same pair he had worn the day before. He wasn't trying to impress anybody. He thought for a moment and then pulled on a muscle shirt as well. His sister, Isis, did not appreciate him walking around bare-skinned, and seeing as she had taken him in after the Ghouls disbanded, he felt he might as well respect her wishes.  
  
He made his way to their kitchen area and grabbed a random piece of fruit out of the basket on the table. It turned out to be an apple and he sat down and began to eat it. Isis always kept the house stocked with a large supply of fruit.  
  
Malik turned away from his apple as his sister walked into the room, dressed for work at the museum. She sighed as she looked at him. "Going for that 'just rolled out of bed' look, are we?"  
  
He gave her a look and pointed to his apple. "Can I eat, please? I was unaware that breakfast required shoes and combed hair."  
  
"Be as smart elect if you wish," Isis replied. "Did you decide what to do about that letter you got yesterday?"  
  
"I'm going to go," Malik answered through a bite of apple. "I want to see who had the nerve to address it 'Malik Ishtal, The Most Unkept Bedroom.'"  
  
Isis laughed at him. "Well, it seems your messy bedroom has become common knowledge. But I do want you to take the rod, just in case."  
  
"Of course," Malik replied.  
  
A serious look came across Isis's face. "And don't forget, whatever happens- "  
  
"Always keep my temper," Malik finished for her. She gave him that little speech almost everyday, and she had good reason. But that didn't mean Malik didn't grow tired of it. He knew that deep in the back of his mind, the consciousness of his dark half still lurked. Yami Malik, unlike the other dark halves, was not a spirit trapped inside of a millennium item. He was an actual part of Malik that had been created when the boy had been forced to get the tattoo on his back at the age of ten. Since that day, Malik's alter-ego came out when Malik lost complete control of his anger. And it was almost impossible to return the evil personality to the depths of Malik's mind. And Yami Malik existed with or without the millennium rod.  
  
Malik shivered involuntarily. He still had nightmares about his dark half. And he couldn't even blame it on a millennium item. He decided to change the subject.  
  
"Rishid left for work, already?" he inquired about his step-brother, whom Isis had also taken in.  
  
"At the crack of dawn, as always," Isis replied. "He wanted to prepare the museum. At least somebody is giving me a hand, not that you aren't a great housekeeper and all." Malik ignored her and grabbed another apple.  
  
Later that day, Malik, now fully dressed in all his finery with the millennium rod tucked safely in the large cargo pocket of his jeans, made his way through the streets, his letter held firmly in his hands. He had no idea who's joke this was, but he didn't find it very funny. A magic school, really.  
  
He turned a corner and found himself in the center of the city, as the letter had instructed. Now he had to find this Albus Dumbledore character. The letter said he would be noticeable. Malik scanned the crowd until he noticed someone waving at him. It was a very old man with long white whiskers, dressed all in robes and wearing a pointed hat. Malik had to just stop and stare. He'd never seen anybody like that. He looked just like a wizard out of a storybook. But the strangest thing was that Malik seemed to be the only one who noticed him. Everyone else's gaze passed over the old man like there was nothing strange about him at all. In fact, more people gave Malik odd looks, and most of them had at least seen him before.  
  
Dumbledore motioned to Malik again. He was equally baffled by Malik's appearance as Malik had been with his, but the venerable wizard did not express it. Knowing that the youth had no knowledge of the magic world, he wondered how his eyes came to be such a shade of lavender. Perhaps it was due to the boy's own magic, or a strange family trait.  
  
Malik cautiously approached. The old man certainly did not look dangerous. He looked gentle and friendly. But looks can be deceiving. He was reminded of Bakura back in Domino City. Dumbledore motioned for Malik to sit with him on a nearby bench. Malik had walked that street many times, and he could never remember seeing a bench there before. He sat on the farthest edge, still not trusting the old man. "You would be Dumbledore?" he inquired.  
  
"And you would be Malik Ishtal," came the answer. "I am pleased to meet you." Dumbledore reached and hand out and Malik shook it before he even realized what he was doing. It was hard not to trust this man. He spoke Malik's language perfectly, which he had not expected seeing as the old man was from England.  
  
"Alright, what's the joke?" Malik said. "I am not in the mood for games."  
  
"No joke, no games," Dumbledore answered. "I am merely here to invite you to improve your magical abilities at our fine school and answer any questions you may have."  
  
Malik scoffed. The old man had to be senile. But he would play along. "Just how many students attend this school of yours?"  
  
"Several hundred," Dumbledore answered. "I had an exact count, but I have misplaced it. It should be close to a thousand students this year. We have quite a few new first years."  
  
"Anything you can do to prove you are telling the truth?" Malik asked.  
  
"What did you have in mind?" said Dumbledore, not the least put off by Malik's bluntness.  
  
"I don't know, you're the wizard," Malik replied, losing his patience. "Disappear or something."  
  
"As you wish." And with that, he was gone. He vanished right before Malik's eyes. Malik stared at the spot where the old man had just sat, blinking furiously as if his eyes were playing a trick on him. Maybe he had been in the sun too long. He scanned the crowd, trying to pick the old man out, but to no avail. He then jumped as there was a tap on his shoulder. He spun around to see Dumbledore beside him again.  
  
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Malik exclaimed. "I can't stand it when people sneak up on me!"  
  
"I beg your pardon," Dumbledore apologized. "But are you now quite convinced of the truth of what I say?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Malik replied. He still thought the old man was crazy as a loon.  
  
"Are you interested in our offer?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"What's in it for me?" was Malik's only answer.  
  
"I can tell that you have a great deal of magical ability. Very ancient magic, indeed. We at Hogwarts can teach you how to use it to its full potential. You would learn with students your own age. Of course, you are a bit of a late starter, so we would have to have the staff help catch you up to your age level. You're four year's behind the rest of your class. Most students start at eleven or twelve."  
  
"I've never really been to any kind of school," Malik said. "I've learned what I needed to know on my own. And I have no need to learn parlor tricks."  
  
"I will not lie to you, Mr. Ishtal," Dumbledore said gravely. "These are dangerous times in the magical world. There is an epic battle occurring between good and evil magic. You might be able to avoid getting involved in it if you stay away. But, having sensed the extent of you're power, I do not feel you can safely stay out of it. There are those who would exploit your magical abilities for their own use. And you will not be able to stay hidden from them for long. But I can promise you safety at my school, as well as a chance to better yourself. The magic you would learn at Hogwarts would be well worth the effort."  
  
Malik found the old man's story to be impossible. But something about the way he said it.... Malik felt as if it couldn't be anything but truth. "So this school of yours will help me increase my power?" Dumbledore nodded. "Well I certainly hope they can all understand me there as well as you can. I don't speak a word of English."  
  
"That can easily be fixed with a spell," Dumbledore said. He reached inside his robes and pulled out a few papers. He handed them to Malik. "This is your supplies list. I'm afraid that we had to assign you to whatever classes had an open space, so you don't have much of an option, but I think you will enjoy Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Ruins class. Also enclosed is your ticket for the Hogwarts Express, the train that will take you to the school. You have a week to prepare to leave here. In exactly a week, go to this address. The people there will help you travel to London and will take you to a place to stay. You'll have a few days to buy what you need there. The train leaves on September first. You may tell your immediate relatives, but no one else, please. And you may have your family escort you as you buy your things."  
  
"My brother will be with me should I decide to go and provided my sister doesn't need him," Malik said. Rishid was a bit protective and Malik knew he would not want him to go alone.  
  
"Very well. Now, if there are no further questions, I have other students to see today."  
  
Malik stared at the papers in his hand and shook his head.  
  
"The decision about whether to come is entirely up to you now. You have all the information you need. I hope to see you at the start of the term." And with that, he was gone again, but this time he did not reappear.  
  
'I must be as crazy as that old man,' Malik said to himself. Regardless, he began sifting through the papers. 


	3. A New Start

Chapter 3: A New Start  
  
Ryou walked alone toward Domino City Park for his one o'clock appointment. The millennium ring was hidden underneath his shirt. He felt it drew too much unwanted attention when it was exposed. As he neared the park, he half expected someone to jump out at him and reveal the joke. But no one ever did.  
  
The fountain came into view. That was where he was told to be. He was a little early, so sat on a bench facing the entrance so he could watch for whoever it was that was supposed to meet him. The white noise from the fountain was quite soothing. And Ryou was so tired after stressing about that letter the night before. He thought he could just rest his eyes for a minute. He was early, after all. He was still expecting someone to spring the joke any minute now.  
  
Dumbledore apparated into the wooded area of the park and walked into the clearing. He scanned the area feeling for magic. He sensed a powerful magical aura surrounding a sleeping teen with hair even whiter than his own. He approached, clearing his throat as he neared and startling the youth awake.  
  
Ryou blinked against the sunlight and rubbed his eyes. He had dozed off. When he saw the form before him, he thought at first that he was still dreaming. "Are you... are you Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"That I am," he relied. "May I sit?  
  
Ryou nodded and scooted over to make room. Dumbledore sat beside him. For a while, neither said anything. Dumbledore merely stared at the fountain in front of him while Ryou stared at Dumbledore. He knew it was rude, but Ryou couldn't help it. The old man looked just like a wizard out of a children's book. He eventually found the nerve to speak up. "Uh, you wanted to see me about something, sir?"  
  
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore said. "I was just admiring the scenery. This is a lovely park."  
  
'This old man is strange indeed' Ryou thought. Just some old coot, was what Yami Bakura had to say about it. But Ryou didn't care. Everyone he had ever known who was worth knowing was strange. He waited for Dumbledore to speak again.  
  
"What if I told you that you have been selected to attend our fine school of wizardry? A place where surprises lurk around every corner and the impossible happens everyday."  
  
"I'd say that it was a dream come true. But," he hesitated, "are you sure I am what you are looking for? It's really a fluke that I have magic. I really can't do anything with it, myself."  
  
"That's what you would be coming to school to learn," Dumbledore said. "Our fine staff can teach you everything you need to know about magic. From transfiguration to caring for mythical creatures. It is natural to be hesitant. But I think it would be a wonderful opportunity for you. I can sense your magic, and it is among the strongest I have ever felt in an untrained wizard. You could do great things."  
  
Ryou doubted that Dumbledore knew that all of Ryou's magic came from his millennium items, the eye and the ring. He also doubted that Dumbledore knew about Yami Bakura and the risks involved in introducing him to new magic (not to mention the mischief he could cause among fellow sorcerers). But Ryou was hesitant to explain any of it. For one, he didn't know where to start. For another, he was afraid it would ruin his chances of being accepted. The last thing he wanted was to be stigmatized by an entire school because of his split personality. He would rather keep Yami Bakura secret, if that was possible.  
  
Of course, Yami Bakura was listening in on Ryou's worries. He advised his lighter half not to bother mentioning him. If he allowed Ryou to attend, it would be the same as it was at normal school: Ryou would be left alone during classes, and Yami Bakura would take advantage of what Ryou learned whenever he felt need of it. Yami Bakura didn't have to do any work himself, for when Ryou learned, he learned. What Ryou normally learned didn't do Yami Bakura any good, but he felt that this Dumbledore's school might prove more useful. Besides, he would love to have one up on Yugi and Malik. Learning modern magic would give him a bit of an advantage should he ever decide to go after the millennium items again.  
  
Ryou had fallen silent while he was literally debating with himself. Dumbledore merely waited quietly as if his potential students zoned out during every interview. When Ryou realized that Dumbledore had been waiting for him, he blushed heavily. "Sorry," he muttered. "I was just thinking."  
  
"That's quite alright," Dumbledore said. "It is good that you think before rushing into things, especially in times like these." He grew solemn. "There is a fierce battle going on in the magic world right now between good and evil. Hogwarts is one of the few places of safety. You could decline my offer and try to stay out of it completely, but I fear it would not be long before one on the side of evil tries to coax you onto their side. They do not always take no for an answer."  
  
I knew there was a catch somewhere, Yami Bakura said to Ryou. They're recruiting for some kind of war.  
  
I don't think it's like that, Ryou replied while trying to listen to Dumbledore at the same time.  
  
Do what you want, Yami Bakura said. Whether I'm bored here or bored in England doesn't make much of a difference to me. But know what you're getting yourself into. I'm not going to rush in at the last minute like Yami Yugi and save you from whatever mess you get yourself into.  
  
"Well," said Dumbledore as he reached in his robes, grabbed some papers that looked suspiciously to Ryou like parchment, and handed them to the youth. "Now that you are informed about the risks as well as the advantages, you are ready to make a competent decision. You have a week to decide and get your affairs in order. If you decide to attend, go to this address at the time specified. The family there will help you get to England. You needn't pack much because you'll be buying most of what you need in Diagon alley which is also where you will be staying until the train takes you to Hogwarts. You can exchange your yen for Galleons (that's wizard money) at the bank there as well. Your family is welcome to join you as you shop-"  
  
"You mean I can tell people that I'm going to this school?" Ryou said suddenly.  
  
"You're family, of course," Dumbledore said. "We do like to keep the magic world as secret as possible, though. Otherwise, muggles (people without magic) would want a spell to solve their every problem, and it just doesn't work that way." Ryou knew that if this magic was anything like his, it would cause more problems than it solved. But maybe that was just because he didn't know how to use it properly. Or because of the permanent "guest" he gained. Dumbledore continued. "So don't go telling all of your friends. This is strictly on a need to know basis. Do you think your family will join you?"  
  
Ryou sighed. "My father is my only family. He's leaving in a few days for an important job in China. He's an archeologist, my father." Ryou was not looking forward to making this trip alone. Dumbledore seemed to pick up on this.  
  
"I can arrange for an escort to take you around and help you find what you need, seeing as you will be alone. Hagrid, our game-keeper, knows Diagon alley well and is always eager to meet new students. And it would be a chance for you to get to know him. He is your teacher for Care of Magical Creatures. That class is usually an elective, but we are quite full this year and we had to put you in the classes that were still available. Divination is your other elective."  
  
"An escort would be great if it's no trouble," Ryou said thankfully. "And those classes will be fine."  
  
Dumbledore nodded. "You have your instructions, supply lists, and train ticket. The rest is up to you."  
  
"Thank you," Ryou said as he stood and bowed. He said his good-bye and began running toward home, a broad grin on his face. He couldn't wait to tell his father.  
  
...............................  
  
A week had passed since Yugi had met with the old man who called himself Professor Dumbledore. Yugi didn't like the thought of leaving his friends behind and not even being able to tell them where he was going, but this was a chance for both him and Yami to maybe learn some secrets about themselves and their magic. Yugi had meant to ask Dumbledore about the puzzle during their meeting, but it slipped his mind with all the talk of other things. Yugi didn't think he had even mentioned Yami.  
  
Grandpa wasn't happy about losing his "assistant" to the shop, but he knew this was a wonderful opportunity for Yugi. He was proud that his grandson had been accepted. He knew how much Yugi wanted to understand the magic he possessed.  
  
Yugi took a taxi to the address Dumbledore gave him. He had with him a truck that was only half full but still weighed as much as he did and the generous amount of money his grandpa had given him to buy his school supplies. Grandpa had to mind the shop, so he couldn't be with Yugi, but Dumbledore had said that a fellow by the name of Hagrid would escort him around.  
  
The taxi arrived at a house that appeared normal. The driver was just getting his trunk out when another taxi arrived and stopped right behind them. Yugi wondered if maybe he wasn't the only one making this trip. He didn't have to wonder long, though, as a familiar white-haired figure stepped out.  
  
"Bakura?"  
  
Ryou looked up, noticing his companion for the first time. "Yugi? You were told to be here, too?"  
  
"By a man named Dumbledore," Yugi answered. A look of relief swept over Ryou.  
  
"That's great," he said. "I was worried about being alone where nobody knew about... well, you know." He motioned to the millennium ring concealed under his shirt."  
  
"Same here," Yugi said. He paused for a moment. "If you and I were both invited, you don't suppose..."  
  
"Malik? Gosh, I hope not," Ryou said. He didn't really mind Malik, but his yami was twice as likely to get into trouble with Malik around. The two of them had a habit of egging each other on. Together, the two of them could cause absolute chaos.  
  
"I really can't picture Malik going to a school," Yugi said. "Conformity, obedience, not really what Malik does."  
  
"You're probably right," Ryou agreed. He doubted Malik would even want to go to school, especially a boarding school.  
  
The taxi drivers helped the boys pull their trunks up to the front door before they drove off. Yugi was about to knock when Ryou stopped him.  
  
"Yugi," he began, "Did you, uh, did you tell Professor Dumbledore anything about how your magic comes from the millennium items? Or about your yami?"  
  
"No," Yugi replied, looking deep in thought. "Did you?" Ryou shook his head. "Do you think we should have?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I don't know. We don't usually tell, but this man seems like he's used to weird things. But I was afraid he wouldn't want me as a student."  
  
Yugi understood where Ryou was coming from and he could tell he was feeling guilty. But now wasn't the time to worry about it.  
  
"Don't think about it now, Bakura. We can tell him when we get there. I'm sure that he'll understand. I'll bet they get stuff like this all the time." With that, Yugi knocked on the door.  
  
They could hear a shuffle inside, and someone approaching before a fairly young woman opened the door. She appeared confused. "Yes, can I help you?" she said.  
  
"Um... Professor Dumbledore told us to be here-" Yugi said before the woman cut him off.  
  
"Oh, yes, now I remember. You're the students I'm supposed to send to London. Alright, then, come on in."  
  
Inside, the house looked like any other. Yugi and Ryou hauled their trunks behind them as the woman lead them, surprisingly, to the fireplace.  
  
"I know Dumbledore from my days of studying witchcraft abroad," she told them as she led the way. "England is a wonderful place to work on your magic skills. You two are very lucky to be invited to study there. Oh, that reminds me, Dumbledore asked me to perform a language charm on you two."  
  
"Language charm?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"Yes, so you can speak, write, and understand English. It's a very good spell. You first, little one." She meant it kindly, but Yugi didn't appreciate being called "little one." He let it slide, though. He watched as the woman pulled what looked like a wand out of a pocket that couldn't have been big enough to hold it. She muttered some strange words and tapped Yugi on the head with it. Yugi felt something strange come over him, but it quickly passed. When he opened his mouth to speak, he was amazed to hear English come out.  
  
"That was odd," he said.  
  
The woman moved to perform the spell on Ryou but he put his hands up defensively. "I know English already, thank you. My first language," he said in English to prove it.  
  
"Very well," she said, switching to English herself. "You two are muggle- born, so I assume you've never traveled by floo powder." She pulled a jar off her mantle and opened it. " You just grab a pinch of the powder, toss it into the fireplace, and clearly say the name of your destination. In this case, you say 'The Leaky Cauldron.' That's the inn where you will be staying." She held the jar in front of Yugi and he nervously took some.  
  
Holding onto his trunk tightly, he stepped into the fireplace, said "The Leaky Cauldron", and tossed the powder to ground. Ryou gasped as Yugi disappeared in a burst of green flames.  
  
Yugi felt like he was spinning. He very nearly let go of his trunk. It did not last long, though. Seconds later, he fell out of another fireplace in what looked like a boarding room. It had a bed, and an adjacent bathroom. He sat staring in awe until Ryou fell out of the fireplace behind him and landed on top of him.  
  
"I don't think I like traveling that way," Ryou said, holding his head in an attempt to make the spinning stop.  
  
"Uh, Bakura," Yugi muttered, "if it's not too much to ask, could you get off me?"  
  
"Oh, sorry," Ryou said as he stood and helped Yugi to his feet. Both boys had to stifle a laugh as they saw the other covered in soot.  
  
It wasn't long before the door to the room was flung wide open and a man stepped in. He did a double take as he saw them and scratched his head. "You would be the two from Japan, right?" Ryou and Yugi nodded. "Right then, I'm Tom, the innkeeper. Dumbledore arranged rooms for you. This one's being used for floo powder travel. Follow me." Tom led them down the hall and showed them their rooms and advised them to clean up. "Your escort arrives tomorrow to take you around Diagon Alley. Oh, and welcome to London," he added.  
  
Tom then left them alone. He had a lot of work to do. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of magical hair care product those kids used to get their hair like that. 


	4. The Inn

Responses:  
  
This fic will likely be longer than any of my others, including "The Darkness Returns." I'm putting a lot of effort into this, so I'm going to do it right, and if that means that it ends up 20+ chapters, then it'll be 20+ chapters.  
  
To Nuriko Metallium: Sorry for the lateness, but you may also link to this story if you want to. Just e-mail me and let me know when you do. ^^  
  
Chapter 4: The Inn  
  
Not long after Ryou and Yugi had settled into their rooms, two more figures fell out of the fireplace. Rishid stood first and helped Malik to his feet before moving to inspect the room. Rishid was VERY protective.  
  
"Give it a rest, Rishid," Malik said in perfect English thanks to the charm that had been performed on him. "If they were going to try something, they would have before now. And nobody's mentioned either the rod or my history with the Ghouls. I don't think we need to worry."  
  
The door opened and the innkeeper appeared. 'More weird ones,' Tom thought to himself as he took in Malik's abundance of gold jewelry and skin revealing shirt and Rishid's long, flowing cloak and tattooed face. 'Dumbledore sure knows how to pick 'em.'  
  
"Welcome to London and The Leaky Cauldron," he said in his most hospitable voice. "Ishtal, right?" Malik only nodded. "I'll take you to your room where you can rest and get cleaned up."  
  
Tom left the two of them alone in their room.. Tom had explained that they had a lot of boarders right now, and so, as family, Malik and Rishid had to share a room. There was only one bed, but it was quite large. Rishid, however, allowed Malik the bed to himself and took a seat in a plush chair facing the doorway. Malik shook his head. Paranoid was the only word for it, but he knew better than to try to talk Rishid out of it. It just didn't work. Well, Rishid was alert enough for the both of them, so he could get some rest. They'd wait until tomorrow for their shopping. He knew he didn't have enough money for all the supplies on his list, especially not the long booklist, but that was okay. Isis disapproved, but she wasn't there at the moment, was she? His time with the Ghouls had made him a thief with skills that rivaled that of Yami Bakura the Grave Robber himself.  
  
.............................  
  
In their separate rooms, Yugi and Ryou were both having a difficult time sleeping. It was hard to contend with the time change. Yugi was passing the time by examining his information papers and holding a conversation with Yami, who was quite upset with the fact that the papers Dumbledore had given them stated that electronic equipment didn't work at Hogwarts, which meant their Duel Disk was of no use. Any dueling would have to be done the old fashioned way. Yugi made sure that it was HIS old fashioned way and not Yami's. Using magic to summon monsters at school would likely get him expelled.  
  
The Game King's strategic mind was so eager for a challenge that he was almost ready to challenge Bakura. Either one, he didn't care if it was the dark or the light. His thoughts were broken when he heard loud footsteps and quiet cursing coming from the hallway outside the door. Yugi allowed Yami to assume control and check out what it was. Yami opened the door and peered into the hall. It was Bakura. Well, Bakura's body anyway.  
  
"What's your problem?" Yami asked, irritated with the other spirit who didn't seem to think he needed to keep a low profile.  
  
"Ryou was boring me with his stresses and worries," Yami Bakura began, "so I shut him up the best way I knew how. Then I decided I needed a drink, but the lousy barhand won't sell me any! Age, or something, I think was his excuse. I'm probably three thousand years older than his GRANDMOTHER and I am too young to buy ale! Lousy mortals..."  
  
"I'm impressed that you actually tried to BUY some," Yami said, crossing his arms smugly. "No stealing for a change." Yami Bakura scowled.  
  
"I am quite capable of stealing, Pharaoh, but I wasn't in the mood for the effort," Yami Bakura replied defiantly. "And if I tried stealing now, I'd never get away with it because I would be the first suspect and I am thousands of miles away from familiar territory. Now, if you are done, I'd like to return to my ring." With, his eyes glazed over, his head nodded, and the ring glowed. When he looked up again, Ryou had regained control and looked rather confused.  
  
Yami sighed. Whenever Ryou regained his body back, he only had a faint memory of what his Yami did, if any at all. Ryou was baffled to find himself in the hallway, and even more confused to see Yami Yugi standing in front of him. Experience had taught him to tell the difference between Yugi's lighter and darker halves.  
  
"Uh..." Ryou started, slightly embarrassed, "what did he do this time?"  
  
"Tried to get a drink at the bar, is all," Yami replied. "So don't be surprised if the barkeep gives you a dirty look tomorrow."  
  
Ryou rolled his eyes. "Great. So much for first impressions."  
  
"Your other half seemed in a particularly bad mood. What's his problem?" Yami asked more out of boredom than concern.  
  
"Oh, he's been bitter since he found out you were going to this school, too." Ryou said. "I guess he wanted to be able to say he knew something you didn't."  
  
"That'll be the day..." Yami said sarcastically. Ryou just shook his head and returned to his room next door. The yamis' competitiveness was something he preferred to stay out of.  
  
It took forever for the boys to finally fall asleep. Yugi's head seemed to have hardly hit the pillow before sunlight was streaming harshly through his window. He got up to draw the shades and returned to bed.  
  
..................................  
  
Malik and Rishid were ready to leave at nine that morning. Malik wasn't happy about being up that early, as it was too early for him, but Rishid insisted on getting an early start.  
  
They had breakfast in the inn and asked Tom for directions to Diagon Alley. Dumbledore had given Malik a map of the alley itself with all the places he needed to visit marked, but it didn't say how to get to the alley. Tom was happy to escort them to the entrance.  
  
After they were astounded by the sights before them when Diagon Alley was finally revealed, their first stop was the bank. The goblins inside were officially the strangest thing that Malik had seen yet, but there was still much to see. Rishid didn't like them at all, but as they were only exchanging money, they didn't have to stay long.  
  
"I don't think the money we have will be enough," Rishid said as he examined Malik's supply list outside the bank. "There's well over a dozen books on this list plus potion ingredients, gloves, a cauldron..."  
  
"I'll make do," Malik replied. "Go on back to the inn, Rishid. I can handle the shopping myself."  
  
"But Malik..."  
  
"Look, Rishid. I'm supposed to be getting adjusted to this new environment. How am I supposed to do that with you hovering over me? I think that if I am capable of controlling a millennium item and a God card, I can handle shopping for school supplies."  
  
"Yes, and if Battle City has taught us anything, it's that you shouldn't be left alone," Rishid replied, unconvinced.  
  
"That's not the case anymore. I'm in control now. Give me some freedom, will you? You and Isis haven't left me alone in months."  
  
Rishid sighed heavily. "Alright," he agreed. "But be back at the inn for lunch, or I'll come find you."  
  
Rishid reluctantly left. Most men his age were not so easily ordered around by their younger step-brothers, but most men didn't have Malik. Sometimes it was better to just give in. He didn't see the harm in it. Malik was right. He did deserve some freedom.  
  
Malik waited until Rishid was well out of sight. He then began wondering around, searching both for the stores on his list, and an easy victim to steal some much needed cash from.  
  
...................................  
  
Later, there was a loud knock on the door to Yugi's room. Yugi sleepily rolled over and mumbled "Go away, Grampa."  
  
"Oy, are you awake in there?" came a loud, deep voice. " 'S almost eleven."  
  
'That doesn't sound like Grampa,' Yugi thought, opening one eye. He turned to face the door when it suddenly opened. Standing there was the biggest man Yugi ever saw!  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!" Yugi screamed.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!" the man screamed.  
  
Yugi, terrified, threw the covers over his head. He wished he had slept with the puzzle on. Now there was a giant in his room and Yami was dangerously out of reach. He heard the giant step into the room.  
  
"What is it?! Why'd you scream?!" he said.  
  
"What's all the yelling about?" Yugi recognized the sleepy voice of Ryou. Then silence. Followed by another wave of screaming.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"  
  
"What's wrong with you two?!" the man exclaimed. "Didn't Professor Dumbledore an' Tom tell ya I was comin'? I'm Hagrid!"  
  
Yugi poked his head out from the covers. Ryou was on the floor with his back to the wall. "W-wait, you're the escort?" he said.  
  
"That I am. Hagrid's the name. Keeper of the keys and the grounds at Hogwarts. And your Care of Magical Creatures teacher," Hagrid said, swelling with pride. "Sorry if I startled you. I'm told I can be quite intimidating."  
  
"It's alright," Yugi said.  
  
Hagrid nodded. "Right then. I'll give you some time to get ready. Be waiting in the lobby."  
  
He left and the boys watched him go. "That just about gave me a heart attack," Ryou said.  
  
"Well at least no one will mess with us if he's hanging around," Yugi replied. "I'm surprised your yami did nothing. You're wearing the ring."  
  
Ryou scoffed. "When there's potential danger is the one time he won't come out," he said as he walked back to his room.  
  
Yugi and Ryou dressed, grabbed their money, and made their way to the lobby. Hagrid was easy to find. He led them out of the Leaky Cauldron and into Diagon Alley.  
  
..............................  
  
Malik arrived at The Leaky Cauldron at noon sharp. He'd spent all the money he had and only had his cauldron, potion ingredients, gloves, and parchment to show for it. Rishid was waiting in the room for him.  
  
"That's all you got?" he asked as Malik set down his stuff.  
  
"Shopping takes time," Malik muttered.  
  
"How much money do you have left?"  
  
"Enough."  
  
"You could probably get it done faster if you let me come along."  
  
"But what kind of learning experience would that be?"  
  
Rishid had sandwiches that Tom had brought in waiting. He and Malik began to eat. He tried several times to convince Malik to let him help, but Malik wouldn't hear it and was getting aggravated, so he let it drop. He wasn't sure how far he could push Malik before it became dangerous. He knew Malik had to be really mad for there to be any risk, but better safe than sorry.  
  
Malik polished off the last sandwich and was almost out the door to return to the alley when Rishid stopped him.  
  
"What?" Malik asked impatiently.  
  
"Be careful out there." Rishid said. "There are a lot of strange people out there. I saw a man that dwarfed even me in the lobby when I went to order the sandwiches."  
  
Malik was sure Rishid was exaggerating, but he agreed to be careful nonetheless.  
  
Malik walked into the backyard of the inn. There was no one else around and the door to the alley was closed again. When Tom opened it, he had taken out a wand and tapped on a brick near the trash bin and that had triggered the door. 'It must be magic activated,' he thought. Well, he only knew of one thing that would be of use to him in that department. Besides, it was demeaning to ask for help.  
  
He pulled the millennium rod out from his cargo pocket. He didn't remember which brick it was but he knew the general area. He focused his powers and began tapping on bricks with the millennium rod. He went through ten bricks and was growing frustrated. He was about to forgo his pride and seek some aide, when he touched a final brick and the rod glowed brightly. The door began to open, slower than it did when Tom opened it, but it was opening nevertheless. Malik smiled and tucked the rod away again. He walked through into Diagon Alley, not noticing that the door was failing to close behind him.  
  
R&R! 


	5. Diagon Alley

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley  
  
Hagrid led the boys through the crowed street that was Diagon Alley. His wide berth created an easy path for them. Though the boys were intimidated by Hagrid's great size (with poor Yugi barely standing taller than Hagrid's kneecaps), they could not help but feel secure with him. Several people said friendly greetings to the giant as they passed, one even offering him a drink. But Hagrid merely declined with a polite wave and stated, "On Hogwart's business."  
  
As it was lunchtime, they stopped at a local restaurant for a bite to eat. The ability to speak and read English didn't help Yugi much with the menu, as he didn't know what most of the foods were. Ryou helped he pick something, though even he was baffled by a few things on the menu. "Dragon steak" was a dish he had never heard of before.  
  
While waiting for their food, Yugi and Ryou compared their supplies list. They were identical, so it seemed that they had the same classes, which brought both boys some comfort.  
  
The meals arrived. Hagrid examined what appeared to be a schedule which he pulled out of one of his many pockets while he ate. He scratched his head in a confused way. "Running late," he commented. "I've gotta be back at the castle tomorrow. Got a shipment comin' in. For the first lesson," he added in an exited way. "Now, Dumbledore tol' me a bit about you two. About how you're muggle-borns from Japan and late-starters. Better late than never, if you ask me. The staff'll catch you up, you don't need to worry about tha'. But I'm afraid I don't know which of you's which." He seemed a little embarrassed.  
  
"That's okay. I'm Yugi Mouto," Yugi said.  
  
"Ryou Bakura," Ryou said, speaking up nervously, "but most everyone just calls me Bakura."  
  
"Prefer the family name, huh?" Hagrid said nodding. "I'm like tha' myself. Even my closest friends call me by my last name. Now," he said turning around and pointing, "Tha's our first stop. Gringotts bank. You exchange your money there. Then there's a bunch of places we need to go for your robes and books and such. And then there's the extra stuff. If you wanna bring a pet along, the Magical Menagerie is the best place to buy one. I'd suggest and owl; they're the most useful. They'll carry your mail and such. But there's also cats, toad, ravens, rats... a bunch more. And if you're interested in sports, Quality Quidditch Supplies is around the corner."  
  
"Quidditch?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Wizard sport," Hagrid said. "Played in the air on broomsticks. There's lots of room on the house teams now with so many people having graduated, if you're interested. Some of our best players have been muggle-borns."  
  
"I don't think competition is such a good idea," Ryou said looking at Yugi, who nodded knowingly. They were both afraid that their yamis might do something in the heat of the moment in competition that they might regret later. "Besides," Ryou added, "I'm no good at sports."  
  
"Aye, you might be better off," Hagrid said. "With all the work you two have to catch up, ya probably won't have the time. Besides, Quidditch is going to be crazy this year. Majority of the captains graduated, so there's new teams leaders. What with Malfoy in charge of Slytherin and the Weasly twins co-captains of Gryfindor, don't know why McGonagall was thinking allowing that." Hagrid rattled on, more to himself than Yugi and Ryou, who had no clue who or what he was talking about.  
  
They finished eating and made their way to the bank. The goblins gave Ryou the creeps, but it was even worse for Yugi, who was almost face to face with them. They exchanged their money and Hagrid took a look at their supplies lists, deciding where to go first.  
  
"Well, we might as well get the books out of the way. They make up most of your list. Come along, stay right behind me."  
  
The street was extremely crowded with school shoppers. There was arguing, children crying, big men laughing and joking. Yugi and Ryou felt like they stood out in their street clothes. Everyone around them was wearing robes. Ryou looked around embarrassed for someone else dressed like them. Suddenly, he felt the warm glow of the millennium ring on his chest. He felt a single dangling point move. He peered through the crowds. He noticed a flash of gold among the throngs. Blonde hair, street clothes... But before Ryou could put what he was seeing together, Yami Bakura, recognizing the form in the crowd, took over, and Ryou lost awareness. Hagrid and Yugi didn't notice that Ryou was no longer following them. Yami Bakura smirked and followed the flashes of gold, moving in the opposite direction of the bookstore.  
  
....................................  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! Please excuse me," Malik said as he bumped into and older woman on the sidewalk.  
  
"It's no problem, young man," she answered in a tired way. "Just be careful."  
  
She walked onward. Malik waited until she was out of sight, and then examined the contents of the coin pouch he had just stolen from her. He frowned, disappointed. Only five of the gold coins, and twelve of the bronze ones. Hardly worth the effort. That brought his grand total up to thirteen gold coins, twenty-three silver, and fifteen bronze.  
  
"Amateur..." came a harsh voice from behind Malik. Even in English, he was sure that voice was familiar. He turned sharply around. His mouth dropped as his eyes met that familiar glare.  
  
"YOU! What are you doing here?!" he said in a harsh whisper.  
  
"Same as you, I'd imagine," Yami Bakura answered, leaning casually against a wall. "Ryou's invited to that magic school, and, of course, he can't do anything without me."  
  
"Seems more to me like you can't do anything without him," Malik muttered. Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes but said nothing, so Malik spoke again. "So what do you want? I'm kinda busy here."  
  
Yami Bakura shook his head. "How you ever got to be the head of an international gang with those mediocre thieving skills is beyond me."  
  
"Mediocre?!" Malik said fuming. "She never ever noticed!"  
  
Yami Bakura only laughed, which made Malik even madder. Although Yami Bakura wouldn't admit it, he was glad Malik was there. Malik was his answer to Yami's Kaiba. A rival. Someone with comparable skills with whom he could compete. Not to mention he was fun to bicker with. Malik felt much the same. The two of them had a habit of instigating each other, which made for much amusement.  
  
"Alright, know-it-all, what did I do wrong?" Malik said, crossing his arms and frowning.  
  
"You've got to pick your targets better," Yami Bakura replied. "That woman was obviously tired and she was carrying several packages. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that she's been shopping all day and so has spent most of her money. You've got to pick somebody who looks like they're just getting started. Someone who looks like they have money."  
  
Malik scoffed. "That doesn't always work. Look at me, I'm the perfect example. I'm not tired and I'm covered in gold, but the only money I have is the bit I just stole."  
  
"Yes," Yami Bakura said with a hand on his chin as if he were deep in though. He looked Malik over. "But your clothes are dirty. Those pants are at least a year old, that shirt is several. And it appears that you cut the sleeves off yourself. Anybody with half a brain can see that you don't have money. The gold is obviously either hand-me-downs or stolen."  
  
Malik wanted to be able to tell Yami Bakura that he was wrong, but couldn't. The spirit was right about all of it. Yami Bakura, sensing this, grinned. "Face it, kid, I know what I'm talking about."  
  
"Alright, then you pick someone out," Malik said. If Yami Bakura was going to be arrogant about it, Malik was at least going to use him to do some of the work for him.  
  
Yami Bakura looked through the crowd. His keen, narrowed eyes moved from one person to another, judging each one until he found the right target and smiled. He grabbed Malik roughly by the shoulders and made him face the right direction. "There's your prey."  
  
Malik looked in the direction Yami Bakura was pointing him. Directly in front of him, about thirty yards off, was a boy with black robes, slick bleach-blonde hair, and an obvious attitude. "Him?" Malik said pointing.  
  
"That's right. Nice robes, expensive stuff in his hair, snobby attitude. The kid's loaded. Follow him. Get close enough, and when the opportunity arrives, snatch his cash."  
  
Malik sighed. If he didn't need the money he wouldn't have even considered listening to that big-headed tomb raider. But he did need the money so...  
  
Malik went after his target and Yami Bakura watched him go. 'Well,' Yami Bakura thought, 'long as I'm out, I might as well get a look around.' He wandered around for a few minutes until he came to a street sign that caught his eye.  
  
"'Knockturn Alley'" he read. He peered down the said street. It was a lot less crowded than this Diagon Alley. Darker, too. Looked more interesting. His mind was made up. He took the turn and began to walk down the nearly deserted street.  
  
....................................  
  
Yugi and Hagrid were already at the bookstore before they realized Ryou was not with them. Hagrid believed that he had gotten separated from them along the way. Yugi knew better. He knew Ryou was more careful than that. And it was more than likely that Ryou had not left them of his own free will. But he wasn't going to tell Hagrid that. It would be a little hard to explain.  
  
Yugi wasn't quite sure what to do. If he didn't stay close to Hagrid, he was likely to get lost himself. On the other hand, it would be slow work finding Bakura with Hagrid around. Especially if Yami Bakura had taken control, as Yugi suspected. So when Hagrid went inside to ask the shopkeep to keep an eye out for a white-haired boy just incase he found his way there, Yugi allowed Yami to gain control. Yami then turned in the direction they just came from and retraced their steps in search of their missing companion.  
  
....................................  
  
"A kid with long white hair?" the shopkeep repeated.  
  
"Tha's right," Hagrid said. "Got separated in the street. If he shows up here, tell 'im to stick around, we'll be back, alright?"  
  
"Sure thing, Hagrid. If I see him, I'll let him know."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Hagrid was about to exit the shop when he heard a familiar voice greet him.  
  
"Hello, Hagrid!" He turned.  
  
"Harry! How've you been? And Ron and Hermione! Nice ta see ya! Buying your school supplies, are you?"  
  
"Yup," Ron answered. "We're almost done."  
  
"Are you staying at The Leaky Cauldron?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"No," Hermione answered. "We're all at Ron's. My folks are going out of town next week and the inn's full. Mrs. Weasly was nice enough to invite me. And Harry's been there most of the summer."  
  
"And she can't wait to get back to school," Harry said.  
  
"She ran out of homework and now has nothing to do," Ron muttered.  
  
"Tha' reminds me," Hagrid said. "Congratulations on making prefect, Hermione." Hermione beamed. "Weren't you supposed to be one, too, Harry? McGonagall says you turned it down."  
  
"Had to," Harry replied. "It would have gotten in the way of Quidditch."  
  
"Yeah," Ron said sarcastically, "Cause you KNOW Fred and George are going to make you work sooo hard. I'm telling you, the team's in big trouble this year..."  
  
"So Hagrid," Hermione said to get off the subject of the team's fate, "What brings you to London?"  
  
"Oh, I 'bout forgot! I'm supposed to be showing a couple new students around. Unfortunately, I lost one of 'em. Strange-looking pair, but nice." Hagrid walked quickly to the exit only to discover that he had lost not one, but two of them. "Oh, no! Now where did he go?!"  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed Hagrid out, and quickly discovered the reason behind his distress.  
  
"Wish we could help you, Hagrid," Harry said, "but we have to find Ginny and get back to The Burrow."  
  
"Tha's alright," Hagrid replied. "Those two shouldn't be too hard ta find. You don't see boys like that very often. Someone's bound to have spotted them. I'll see you at the welcoming banquet."  
  
"Bye, Hagrid. Good luck."  
  
.....................................  
  
R&R please! 


	6. Troublemakers

Sorry for the lateness! Been a heck of a week... And I still haven't done my holiday homework... *grumble* And, ahead of time, sorry Malfoy fans. You probably won't like this chapter.  
  
Chapter 6: Troublemakers  
  
Malik followed the boy through the crowd until he entered a shop by the name of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. Malik hesitated, then entered as well. He was just in time to see his target being escorted to another room. There was no one else in sight. 'Great,' Malik thought. 'I missed him.' He was about to leave when someone called to him.  
  
"Excuse me, do you need to be fitted for uniform robes?"  
  
Malik turned around to face the woman addressing him. She'd just emerged from the back room. Malik wasn't sure how to respond. He DID need robes... it was payment that was a problem.  
  
"I... well I, uh..." he muttered.  
  
"I can take you to be fitted now, if you are ready." She motioned to the room where his target had just been taken. Malik figured this was his only chance.  
  
"Sure, I'm ready," he answered.  
  
The woman motioned for him to follow her. Sure enough, the first thing Malik saw when he entered the room was his target standing on a stool while one of the attendants measured him. The woman beckoned Malik over and he, too, stood on a stool and measurements were taken of him. Malik had no idea if he had enough to pay for the clothes, and there would surely be quite a scene if he didn't. The boy eyed Malik, as if sizing him up. Malik pretended not to notice him. After five or six minutes of general measurements, fitting, and adjusting, Malik and the boy were left alone while the attendants went to fix their robes.  
  
The boy finally spoke up. "Hogwarts?" he asked. Malik only nodded. "I've never seen you before. What year are you?"  
  
"Fifth," Malik said simply.  
  
"That's my year. How come I've never seen you before?"  
  
"I guess you'd call me a transfer."  
  
"From?"  
  
"Several places, but Egypt first and last."  
  
"Do you know what house you're in?" Malik shook his head, not having a clue what he was talking about. "I'm in Slytherin. Best house there is. I'm Draco Malfoy, captain of the Slytherin house Quidditch team. And you?"  
  
"Malik Ishtal."  
  
"Malik, huh? You're pure-blood, right? Family's magical?" Draco asked.  
  
"Ishtals have practiced magical rituals for centuries," Malik replied.  
  
"That's good. Far too many muggle-borns in the school already, if you ask me. Dumbledore'll let just about anybody in." Malik didn't care for Draco's attitude, but he didn't let it show. He was biding his time. He had to find a subtle way to get close enough to snatch the boy's coin pouch. He could see it tied simply at Draco's side. It would be a snap to just tug lightly on the string and silently grab the pouch. If only he could get close.  
  
Malik was so absorbed in his thoughts that it took him a few minutes to notice that Malfoy was staring at him. "What?" Malik asked.  
  
"Do you get your hair done at Madam Richard's, too?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It's just that the color looks similar to mine. That's the way Madam Richard does it."  
  
"I don't color my hair!" Malik said, a hint of insult in his voice. The nerve of that guy making that accusation.  
  
"Yeah..." Malfoy replied sarcastically, "Sure you don't."  
  
This Malfoy kid was really starting to rub Malik the wrong way. He wanted to get the job over with and get out of there and away from that guy as soon as possible. Malfoy, however, was equally insulted, and when he felt insulted, his observations got meaner and meaner.  
  
"What's with the shirt?" Malfoy asked. "And the earrings? Only girls where stuff like that. Or is that an Egyptian thing?"  
  
"It's MY thing, do you mind?" Malik fumed. Really, first Yami Bakura and now this.  
  
"Well if your thing is to wear dirty, girly clothes, then I guess that's up to you."  
  
"This coming from a guy who just admitted to coloring his hair?" Malik shot back.  
  
"At least you can tell I'm a guy! I'd swear I heard the attendant call you 'miss' twice!"  
  
"Why you stuck-up, big headed, son of a-"  
  
"Don't talk to me that way, you dirty, long-haired, girly Muhammad!"  
  
"That's it!" Malik lunged for Malfoy. He caught Draco off guard and got a quick punch in which knocked Malfoy to the ground. Draco retaliated with an upward kick that hit Malik in the stomach. The boys scuffled for several minutes in a fit of swinging limbs and swear words before the attendants heard them and rushed in to stop the fight. Malfoy nursed a bleeding lip and swollen eye while Malik gingerly held a hand over his bruised stomach.  
  
"Out, you two, out!" the woman in charge yelled. "You can send someone to pick up your robes later, but I don't want to see you in this store again! Out!"  
  
Malik and Malfoy were forced to leave their names and exit the store and they both went their separate ways, with Malfoy cursing himself for not thinking of using his wand. Malik turned several corners to make sure he wasn't being followed, then he smiled and pulled out Malfoy's coin pouch that he had stashed in his pocket when the attendants had separated them. One peek inside told him that he would have more than enough to buy his school supplies. And Yami Bakura had called him an amateur. What better way to get close enough to pick someone's pocket than to purposely start a fight with him? 'One of my more clever plans to date,' Malik thought as he laughed. He put the contents of Malfoy's coin pouch into his own, throwing Malfoy's pouch away after, and once more he began looking for the stores on his list.  
  
................................  
  
Yami slowed down his run to make it easier to spot his lost companion. He looked in several shops and asked several shop owners. None had seen Bakura. Yami stood out, though. He was attracting quite a bit of attention from the passer-bys. Two in particular.  
  
"Would you look at that! George, over here! Check that guy out!"  
  
"Wow... Is he from school?"  
  
"Probably. But I've never seen him before. I think I would have noticed the hair. I'd guess he's a first year, although he looks a bit old."  
  
"Doesn't matter. The boy's a bloody genius! I'd 'a never thought to do that. Great joke, don't 'cha think? Doing that to his hair. Brilliant way to start the school year. Looks like we may have a rival this year, eh, Fred?"  
  
Fred shook his head. "Not once we get back to makin' our jokes. Mum really put us behind schedule, not letting us work on 'em at home. Speakin' of which, aren't we supposed to get back home? Everyone else left already."  
  
"Mum said we had the afternoon to stay in Diagon. Last time I checked it was still afternoon. Besides, that guy looks lost. Let's help 'im out."  
  
"Alright! I do wanna ask him how he gets his hair to stay up like that."  
  
Yami was just looking around the restaurant where they had eaten earlier when he heard the voices of Fred and George, the Weasly twins, behind him.  
  
"Need some help?"  
  
Yami turned around. Once more, the twins were astounded.  
  
"Wow! How'd you do that to your eyes?" Fred exclaimed. George elbowed him for it. That was a bit blunt. Yami raised an eyebrow at them.  
  
"Sorry," Fred apologized. "Just really like your look, is all. For shock value, right?"  
  
Yami was puzzled. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Just think the hair is cool," George said, "And the eyes. And the buckles. And... Damn those pants look tight. How do you breathe in those?"  
  
Yami went from puzzled to baffled. He could honestly say that no one had ever questioned him like that before. It wasn't his fault the pants were tight. Yugi was smaller than him, after all... So he chose to ignore that question. "It's just my style," is all he said.  
  
"Don't think me rude," Fred said, "But do you mind telling me how you get your hair and eyes like that? You go to a magic salon, or something?"  
  
"No," Yami answered. "It's natural."  
  
The twins gawked again, then laughed. "Alright, I get it," Fred said, "Don't wanna share your secrets. That's fine. Believe us, we understand. I'm Fred Weasly, and this is my brother, George."  
  
Yami figured he shouldn't use "Yami" as his name, so he replied, "My name is Yugi."  
  
"Nice to meet ya, Yugi. Shopping for Hogwarts school supplies?"  
  
"Yes and no," Yami answered. "I need to get my supplies, but I'm looking for someone right now. Maybe you've seen him. He's a bit taller than me, with street clothes and white hair."  
  
"White hair? You're partner in crime, eh? Haven't seen him, but we can help ya look. We know Diagon alley and all the adjacent streets like the back of our hands."  
  
"Thank you," Yami said. This might make things a little easier.  
  
....................................  
  
Yami Bakura had his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans as he walked the almost-empty street looking in the shop windows. He was unimpressed so far. He selected a random shop and entered it. There seemed to be no one inside. He examined the items on the shelves. Useless, all of it.  
  
"Can I help you?" The shopkeep said as he entered the room from the back. He narrowed his eyes at Yami Bakura. "Aren't you a little young to be shopping here on your own?"  
  
'I am so sick of people giving me that "too young" crap,' Yami Bakura thought. 'I swear I'm going to send the next person who tells me that to the shadow realm.' The shopkeep merely shrugged off the cold stare Yami Bakura was giving him. "Well, have you found anything that interests you? We have the best tools of the occult available."  
  
"If this is the 'best' then I'd hate to see the worst." Yami Bakura said. "This is trash!" He gestured to the shelves marked, "Tools of the thief". "Any thief who would stoop to using this has no right to call himself a thief. Magic candles? A real thief has no need for such things."  
  
"And I am so sure that you are an expert in the ways of the thief," the shopkeep replied sarcastically. Yami Bakura ignored this as something else caught his eye.  
  
"Now this could be useful," he said. On a lower shelf was a handsome pocket knife. Ryou had thrown away his old one after the whole Battle City thing. Really, one little cut and a few pints of blood and Ryou felt the need to get rid of it. Yami Bakura still resented him for it. This new knife had a lovely polished handle of smooth cherrywood, and a blade of beautiful silver.  
  
"Well, it seems that you've been drawn to the least magical of our items," the shopkeep said. The blade is unbreakable and it never needs sharpening. And it's stain-proof. But that's all. You obviously know nothing about the tools of the trade, kid."  
  
Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes dangerously, the blade still in his hands. But before he could think about doing much, the door the shop opened. A man entered, a familiar boy following behind him.  
  
"Really, Draco, I can't believe you could be so careless."  
  
"But father, I'm telling you, that guy stole it!"  
  
"I don't care, Draco. You should have used you brain and your wand. This person obviously didn't even have a wand, and you came off worse in the fight." Draco considered bringing up the time his father had fought with Mr. Weasly, but thought better of it.  
  
"Lucius, back again?" the shopkeep said, unwisely turning his attention away from Yami Bakura.  
  
"Still nothing on those...artifacts?"  
  
"No, nothing yet. All my people are on the lookout for them. You'll be the first to know if something turns up."  
  
"You understand how much we need those items, right?"  
  
"Yes Lucius, I do, now if you excuse me." The shopkeep turned to where Yami Bakura had been seconds before, and saw nobody. Yami Bakura was gone, and so was the pocket knife.  
  
"Why that little..."  
  
....................................  
  
  
  
R&R! I'll try to get another chapter out before my break is over. 


	7. First Impressions

So sorry this chapter took so long. Vacation, finals, a certain someone going Frankenstein on my computer. But I will TRY to be faster with the next one. After next week, the updates should become more regular.  
  
Chapter 7: First Impressions  
  
Yami Bakura made a clean escape from the shop, pocket knife in hand and a smirk on his face. He'd shown that annoying shopkeep just what he knew about thieving and it seemed that his protégée had done a fine job of stealing from that kid. And he had a brand new knife that he would have to make sure Ryou didn't get rid of. This was a good day. He stuffed the knife deep into his pockets and continued his walk around Knockturn Alley. It was still somewhat of a disappointment, but it was better than being stuck in his soul room while Ryou shopped. He was about to turn deeper into the alley when, once more, a voice addressed him.  
  
"I am assuming you are lost? Students are not supposed to be in this area." Yami Bakura turned to see a tall black-haired man clothed in black robes.  
  
"And who are you to tell me where I can and cannot be?" Yami Bakura shot back. "What makes you think that I'm even a student?"  
  
"Perhaps it is the Hogwarts letter sticking out of your pocket." Yami Bakura glanced down and cursed silently. The letter was plainly in sight. He'd left it like that accidentally when he'd put the knife in.  
  
"That attitude will not get you far with me. I have no tolerance for cocky punks. And that look does not intimidate me, either," the man said, answering Yami Bakura's cold stare with one of his own.  
  
"Yeah? Well I have no tolerance for people who think they can tell me what to do. I take orders from no one..." Yami Bakura said, his patience rapidly disappearing. He was getting really tired of people trying to boss him around.  
  
"Then you will not last long at Hogwarts, boy. I have taught there far too long to allow such disrespectfulness within its walls." The man narrowed his eyes at the gradually widening grin on Yami Bakura's face.  
  
"A teacher, huh?" Yami Bakura said through his smirk. "Maybe I can teach you a few things, professor..." 'This is going to be fun,' he thought as began activating the ring, which was still concealed underneath his shirt. Darkness began to envelope just behind the man in black, but he didn't seem to know it.  
  
"Bakura! Stop!"  
  
The yell startled Yami Bakura and broke his concentration. The darkness evaporated. Yami Bakura turned to see who had interrupted. "Damn that meddling pharaoh," he muttered. He wasn't going to have any fun now. Might as well return to the ring.  
  
Yami had been led to Knockturn Alley by the Weasly twins. It was the last place they hadn't checked. The twins were hesitant to go there, as it was forbidden, but they had little choice.  
  
Yami was lucky enough to be ahead of the twins at the time. They hadn't seen Yami Bakura summoning the shadow realm. That was good. Yami Bakura was obviously irritated at Yami's interference, but that was too bad. They couldn't have him sending every person who ticked him off to the shadow realm, not that he wouldn't try anyway.  
  
Rather than waiting around for a scolding that he, of course, would pay no attention to, Yami Bakura took the easy way out and returned to the ring. Ryou regained control, thought he was shaky at first and fell to his knees. He, of course, had no idea where he was or what was going on. The last thing he could remember was walking with Yugi and Hagrid to the bookstore.  
  
Now that the situation was under control, Yami allowed Yugi control. Yugi ran up to Ryou and helped him up.  
  
"Wha... What happened?" Ryou muttered.  
  
"Later," Yugi whispered as he subtly nodded toward the man in black who was staring at them. Ryou turned to look. This man obviously didn't like him, and his yami had probably given him reason not to. Although he didn't show it, the man was almost as confused as Ryou. Was this boy the same one that had just been so arrogant and disrespectful? He now seemed confused, yet wide-eyed and innocent. His attitude seemed to have done a complete 180. But the man was sure it was a trick. Yugi seemed to pick up on the man's annoyance.  
  
"Uh... thank you for finding my friend. We kinda got separated. We're new to the area," he said.  
  
"Is he mentally unstable, or something?" the man asked.  
  
"Uh, you could say that, but only half the time," Yugi muttered.  
  
"Yugi!" Fred yelled as he and George turned the corner. "Did ya find him?"  
  
"Yes!" Yugi called back. "Over here!"  
  
The twins ran up to them babbling most of the way. "Really, of all the places to be..." They stopped suddenly. "Pro-professor Snape... what brings you to this area of town?" George said nervously.  
  
"Professor?" Yugi said. Maybe he shouldn't have let this man believe the 'mentally unstable,' thing.  
  
"Shopping for supplies Weasly," Snape sneered. "Some can only be found here. You, however, have no business here. Back to Diagon, all of you! And I'll be keeping a close eye on you, boy," he said, gesturing to Ryou who could only stare blankly back.  
  
"R-right Professor," Fred said, "come on, guys, let's go."  
  
The twins led Yugi and Ryou back to Diagon alley, introducing themselves to Ryou along the way.  
  
"Ya'll were with Hagrid, right? Stick around here, and he'll find you. Wish we could stick around, but we really need to get home," Fred said. He hesitated for a moment staring at Yugi. "Were you always that small?"  
  
George elbowed him again. "Never mind him," George said. "We'll see you again at school. See ya, Yugi! See ya, Whitey!" And with that, the twins were off.  
  
"Whitey?" Ryou said.  
  
"Those two seem to like to joke around a lot," Yugi explained. "Kinda like Jounouchi and Honda."  
  
"Oh... So what did I do to get that teacher so mad?"  
  
"Don't know. You got away from us. We only just found you. Your other half had you running all over town apparently. Yami says that your dark side was trying to send that guy to the shadow realm, but I don't think the guy noticed."  
  
Ryou sighed. "Well, it seems my yami's making friends already... maybe I should rethink this whole school thing. I can't trust myself around that many people. I thought he might behave himself, but..." Ryou trailed off.  
  
Yami Bakura actually didn't want his light second guessing himself. All this new magic and new people was a welcome change. Besides, if Yugi or Malik made fools of themselves at that school, he wanted to be there to see it.  
  
Just getting it out of my system, Ryou.  
  
And why am I supposed to believe that? You'll say that you will behave, and then run amuck again two minutes later! I can't trust you!"  
  
Ryou, when did I say you had a choice? I'm not about to go back where I won't even have the pharaoh to annoy anymore. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either way, we're going. You didn't drag me this far to turn back now..."  
  
Ryou was beaten, and he knew it. There was nothing he could do. Will I at least be able to give Dumbledore a heads-up about you? To make it easier on both of us? Yugi's telling him about his yami.  
  
Well, if the pharaoh's going to ruin all the fun...  
  
And you won't interrupt my classes?  
  
No, I won't, Yami Bakura grumbled.  
  
Or my study time?  
  
Don't push it.  
  
"Oy! Yugi! Bakura! There you two are! I was 'bout to give up on ya!"  
  
It was Hagrid. He'd finally caught up with them. The poor guy had checked every store, shop, and street looking for them. Yugi and Ryou quickly came up with a story about getting lost and wandering around.  
  
"Well, so long as you two are back," Hagrid said scratching his head and looking around. "We better get a move on. The door back ta the Leaky Cauldron's broke. Stuck open. We gotta try to finish up and get back in case they get it stuck closed next. Good thing there's no muggles stayin' at the inn."  
  
"How'd that door break?" Yugi asked.  
  
"They don't know. They think the wrong kinda magic might have been used on it. Thought the thing was supposed to work for all magic, myself. But enough about that. There's Ollivanders. We can get yer wands there."  
  
They entered the shop to find quite a mess and a harassed-looking Mr. Ollivander. "What happened here?" Hagrid asked.  
  
"Crazy kid," Mr. Ollivander said. "The first wand I gave him was the wrong one. He swished it and broke a vase. Then he decided the whole thing was hilarious and he kept waving the thing around, knockin' over shelves and the like before I could get him to stop. He seemed to think the wand was supposed to do that." Ryou could hear his yami laughing from inside his soul room, though he had no idea why. Ollivander continued. "He paid for the damages though. The kid had a good bit of money. Finally found the right wand. Dragon heartstring and elm. Fifteen inches, a long one. He waved it around, sent out sparks, and set my curtains on fire. You'll have a time with that one this year."  
  
"Well, I got two new one's for yeh," Hagrid said. "These are the late starters."  
  
"That so? Well come on. You first, boy. Name?"  
  
"B-Bakura."  
  
"Alright then, come on. A nervous one, aren't you?" Mr. Ollivander began taking measurements, though after a while, it seemed the tape measure was doing it on its own. After that was done, Mr. Ollivander brought out several boxes, opening each one and allowing Ryou to try them. Dragon heartstring and pine, twelve inches. Phoenix tail feather and oak, eleven and a half inches. Phoenix feather and birch, thirteen and a quarter inches. Each one knocked something over when Ryou waved it. He apologized quickly after, but Mr. Ollivander said it was to be expected. Finally, they found a winner. Unicorn hair and cherrywood, fourteen and a quarter inches. It sent out silver sparkles when Ryou waved it.  
  
"A slightly feminine wand, but it fits you." Ollivander said. Ryou wasn't sure whether he should be insulted or not.  
  
They went through a similar process with Yugi. He tried twice as many wands as Ryou before they found the right one, though most of the wands he tried did nothing at all. His final wand was Phoenix tail feather and ebony, ten and a half inches. It sent out red and purple sparks when he waved it.  
  
With the wands out of the way, they moved on to get the rest of there supplies. Books made up the vast majority of them, but there were also their cauldrons, parchment, quills, charts, potion ingredients, gloves, ink wells, and packs of Tarot cards. The later was most likely for Divination, which both Yugi and Ryou had.  
  
They made a quick run back the inn to drop off their stuff. There were several people working on the door as they passed. No one still had any clue about what had caused it to break like that.  
  
They returned to Diagon with their major supplies bought. Yugi had a little money, but he wanted to save it for those trips to town during the school year that Grampa had had to sign a paper for. Ryou, however, had something he wanted to do.  
  
"My birthday's next week," Ryou said. "The day after we get to school. Since I would be away and so would he, Father gave me some extra money to buy myself something. I'd like to get a pet like Hagrid was saying."  
  
"Your birthday's next week? Seventeen already?" Yugi asked. Ryou nodded. "I didn't realize you were that much older than me."  
  
"We, since we moved around so much when I was younger, I fell behind in school. That's why I'm in your grade."  
  
"Oh."  
  
So they headed down to the Magical Menagerie. Ryou and Yugi entered alone, as Hagrid said it was a bit of a tight squeeze for him. Yugi didn't want a pet for himself, but he did enjoy looking around at all the animals, and he wandered off on his own. Ryou looked around eagerly for something that fit his tastes. He couldn't help but keep practicality in mind. An owl could deliver his mail, but he really had his eye on something else.  
  
In the opposite corner of the shop from the owls were the ravens. Ryou thought they were beautiful. He nervously fingered his coin pouch as he mentally weighted the pros and cons. A worker noticed his hesitance, and, fearing losing a sale, when over to help him.  
  
"Interested in a raven are you?" she said. "Wonderful birds, they are. Very smart. Not as popular as the owls, but easier to keep and every bit as intelligent, if not more so."  
  
"But," Ryou started, "I really wanted to be able to send letters to my dad to keep him posted on my schooling. I've been told that owls are needed for that. They can find him wherever he is."  
  
"Why you can use a raven for that!" The shopkeeper exclaimed. "The larger ravens are great for post delivery! They can't carry large packages and fight harsh winds as well as the owls, but they make less stops. And they stand out less. Owls are too flashy if you're going to be delivering to muggle areas. Plus ravens are so much cleaner! No dead mice! And we have a special this week: buy one of our special delivery ravens, and the cage is half price!" How could Ryou argue with that?  
  
Yugi had lost interest in watching the pets and had gone outside to wait for Ryou. He was somewhat surprised to see Ryou carrying a raven in a cage.  
  
"Thought you were going to get a practical owl?" Yugi said.  
  
"They lady said these can deliver mail, too," Ryou replied, holding up the cage. "Isn't she beautiful? Think I'll call her Nightshade."  
  
"Nightshade?" Yugi repeated, as he backed up away from the bird. "That's, um, very dark. but nice," Yugi added when Ryou gave him a look. As nice as Ryou was, it was easy for Yugi to forget that he was really into dark themes and the occult. Most thought that was all Yami Bakura. But a raven, geez...  
  
"Well, that should be all yeh need," Hagrid said as he returned them to the Leaky Cauldron. "I'll be seeing you at the welcoming banquet. Have fun on the train and good luck with the sorting!" And Hagrid left. Yugi and Ryou exchanged puzzled looks.  
  
"Sorting...?"  
  
....................................  
  
And, before anyone asks, yes, the day after they get to school (i.e. September 2) is Ryou's official birthday. Though I'm not %100 on his age, the date I am sure about. I've seen his stat page from the manga.  
  
R&R! 


	8. The Reunion

This chapter just was not meant to be posted in a timely manner. Finals, new classes, computer virus... It's a conspiracy, I tell ya! They're out to get me! Or this could be Yami Bakura's fault. All the trouble started when I put him as my wallpaper on my computer. -_-  
  
....................................  
  
  
  
The next few days were fairly uneventful for all three of the boys. Malik successfully convinced Rishid to leave him alone. Rishid was satisfied with the conditions of the inn and the alley and felt Malik would be okay, so he returned home by way of floo powder. Knowing he would soon have to get to work (and wanting to make sure he didn't run into that kid he stole from), Malik spent his time lazing about in his room. His food was delivered to him and he got more sleep than any person could possible need.  
  
Yugi enjoyed sitting to meals with Ryou in the inn. He enjoyed the scenery and watching the people. They would play duel monsters and talk about what lay ahead of them. Occasionally they would explore Diagon Alley and gawk at all there was to buy. Yugi was seriously tempted to give up on saving his money.  
  
Yami was growing more and more frustrated. He needed a challenge so bad that he played as much as thirty straight games of solitaire in an attempt to satisfy that need. It was getting to the point that he was actually missing Kaiba. At least he always had an opponent with him. Yugi tried to help by offering to play duel monsters with Yami, but since they played with the same deck, that was kinda hard. Ryou offered to let Yugi borrow his deck (as he really didn't want to play against an aggressively competitive Yami himself), but the first card Yugi examined looked like something out of a nightmare, so he declined the offer.  
  
Like Malik, Ryou also spent a lot of his time in his room, though he often had his nose stuck in a book; something Malik would never be caught doing if he didn't have to. He found the spellbooks, magical history books, and fortune telling books absolutely fascinating. Yami Bakura absorbed most of this internally, but Ryou occasionally willfully allowed him control of the body in order for the spirit to get some mobility. Ryou felt that Yami Bakura was less likely to take over at the wrong moment if he was regularly allowed control, and he was working on cutting a deal with him for at school using a similar process.  
  
For the most part, Yami Bakura remained in the room. He thumbed through a few books, making a few snide remarks, and he broke in Ryou's Tarot cards. Also, with some help from the millennium ring, he found out Malik was staying there, too. Of course, he had to show up his rival at least one more time before they left for school. He managed to sneak into Malik's room and scare the living heck out of him. Understandably, Malik was quite startled when he turned around to see Yami Bakura suddenly standing there grinning and bearing a knife. He threatened to shove that knife up an orifice that shall remain unnamed the next time Yami Bakura did that. Yami Bakura only laughed and replied, "I told you you were an amateur..."  
  
The week passed by quickly. The time soon came where they once more had to pack up their things again. Much to Ryou's relief, they would not be traveling by floo powder to the train station. Seems they were being provided transportation by something called the Ministry of Magic. Cars rather than a fireplace. Yugi and Ryou hitched a ride in the same car. It seemed that they were not the only one being given a ride as an identical car was parked behind them. They left before they could see who it was, though.  
  
The ride did not take long at all, but the boys' nervousness built up rapidly. Yugi's palms were sweating and Ryou had butterflies in his stomach as they examined their train tickets.  
  
"I think that language charm must be malfunctioning," Yugi said. "It looks like this says our train leaves from platform 9 ¾. That's not right, is it?"  
  
"It's not the language charm," Ryou replied. "That's what it says. I don't remember platforms being numbered like that."  
  
"I guess we'll find it when we get there..."  
  
When they arrived, the drivers loaded the trolleys, much to Nightshade the raven's protest. She clamed down again after Ryou fished a cracker out of his pocket and gave it to her. Then the drivers then left them alone, apparently assuming that the boys knew where they were going. Yugi and Ryou entered the station, counting off the platforms as they passed them.  
  
"Eight... Nine... And there's ten. I don't see a 9 ¾."  
  
"Excuse me, sir," Yugi said to a passing station worker, "Could you help us find platform 9 ¾?"  
  
The man took one look at Yugi and cocked an eyebrow. "Cute kid, real cute... Sorry, I don't have time for this now."  
  
Yugi groaned as the worker walked away. "Well, so much for customer service..."  
  
"The train leaves in twenty minutes. We'd better find it soon..." Ryou said. "I wouldn't know what to do if we missed it... H-hey!"  
  
"Watch it kid!" Said a man as he rushed to catch his train at platform ten, rudely knocking Ryou out of his way. Ryou flailed backwards, unable to regain his balance. He stumbled, seemingly about to fall against the barrier between platforms nine and ten, and then he disappeared.  
  
Yugi stared wide-eyed, sure that he was seeing things. "Hey! Where'd you go?"  
  
Ryou landed hard on the floor. He stood up slowly, nursing his bruised bottom, and finally looking up, he saw the Hogwarts Express in front of him. "Ah! Yugi, I found it! Uh, Yugi?" Turning around, Ryou saw nothing but a bare wall. Sure that that was where he had just come from, he placed a hand on it. It was solid. He pushed on it. It did not budge.  
  
"Gotta put more speed on it if you're trying to get back through," came a voice. Ryou turned to see and Asian girl that seemed about his age next to him.  
  
"More speed?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Right. The barrier doesn't work if you go slowly. That's to keep muggles out. You have to go at a bit of a run to pass," she said.  
  
"Th-thanks," Ryou replied.  
  
"You new to Hogwarts? I don't believe that I've seen you before."  
  
"Yes. I'm new. Still getting adjusted."  
  
"Well, that's understandable. You'll catch on soon." She smiled and headed to the train.  
  
'She seemed nice,' Ryou thought as he backed up to do what he was told. He felt kinda silly and more than a little nervous. He was, after all, preparing to run into a wall. He sighed, took a deep breath, and broke into a run.  
  
On the other side of the barrier, Yugi was searching for Ryou. He couldn't believe that he just disappeared. Yugi eyed the barrier, wondering if it was a trap door or something. Then...  
  
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Yugi screamed as Ryou suddenly appeared though the barrier and almost crashed into him. Ryou quickly shushed him.  
  
"Relax, relax! It's a trick. I found the train."  
  
"Really? Through that?" Yugi questioned.  
  
Ryou nodded. "It's protected by magic, or something. You have to run at it to get through it. Grab your trolley."  
  
Yugi and Ryou took hold of their luggage carts and (with Yugi feeling rather ridiculous), they glanced around to make sure no one was looking, and charged toward the barrier. They of course, passed right through. Yugi was amazed, but they didn't have time to waste. The train was already blowing its whistle. They boarded the crowded train, finally finding an empty compartment at the back, and getting awed stares the whole time.  
  
....................................  
  
"Hurry up! Come on! Ten minutes! You've got ten minutes!" Mrs. Weasly yelled as she rushed her group to the barrier. "Fred! George! You first!"  
  
"Alright, Mum, we're going."  
  
"Ron, you and Harry next. Then Hermione and Ginny. Hurry up, now."  
  
The students did as they were told and separated as they boarded the train. Fred and George entered a compartment with their friends, and judging from their snickers, Ron, Harry, and Hermione felt it wouldn't be wise to share a compartment with them. Ginny joined some girls from her year. But Harry and company were having a hard time finding a place to go. There were so many new students! There were at least double the first years that there were last year. At least four people already in every compartment. Even Neville's compartment was full.  
  
Ron led the way to the back of the train. This was their last hope of avoiding a crowd. Ron peeked in through the small window on the door. His eyes widened a bit. "Uh, there's only two in this one, but... they... they seem strange. These must be those two Fred and George told us about. I though for sure they were joking."  
  
"Really?" Harry asked. "The kids with the weird hair and eyes?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the ones. I wonder what's their story. They're obviously too old to be first years."  
  
"Oh, will you too stop gawking at them like they were zoo animals and just knock and see if we can share the compartment?" Hermione said. Ron and Harry hesitated. "Oh, step aside," Hermione said. She stepped between the boys and knocked without looking in. She heard a polite "yes?" from inside and opened the door. "Hi! Excuse us, but would you mind sharing this compartment? Everywhere else...is...full..." Hermione was, for once, speechless, as the images of the forms before her registered.  
  
"Sure!" Yugi replied, smiling cheerfully. "There's plenty room."  
  
"Yes. Please join us," Ryou agreed.  
  
Hermione shook her head and returned to her senses. "Thank you," she said, grabbing Harry and Ron by the hand and pulling them in, trailing their luggage behind.. The three sat down opposite of Yugi and Ryou. There was an awkward silence. "I guess we should introduce ourselves. I'm Hermione Granger."  
  
"Ron Weasly"  
  
"Harry Potter." Harry waited for it. Every time he introduced himself, there was that stunned silence, followed by the glances towards the scar on his forehead. But neither of the boys sitting before him reacted to his name. In fact, they reacted to Ron's.  
  
"Weasly, you said," Yugi replied. "I think I met your relatives in Diagon Alley. Twins?"  
  
"Yes, my brothers."  
  
"I can see the resemblance. I'm Yugi Mouto."  
  
"My name is Ryou Bakura. But most everyone calls me just Bakura. Nice to meet you."  
  
"What year are you," Harry asked.  
  
"Fifth," Yugi and Ryou replied together.  
  
"Really? That's our year," Ron said. "How'd you manage to skip four years?"  
  
"We just got out invitations over the summer," Yugi replied. "Dumbledore said he would make sure we got caught up."  
  
"Oh... You know, if you need a tutor, I would be more than happy to-"  
  
"Give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said. "In case you haven't noticed," he said, turning to Yugi and Ryou, "she's the brains around here. Don't ever waste your time in the library, because it will be easier and quicker to just ask ol' Hermione." Hermione gave him a look.  
  
"Well that would certainly explain how you managed to pass last year, Weasly."  
  
All turned to face the door, which had been left open. Standing there were three forms.  
  
"Malfoy," Harry and Ron muttered with disgust. "Don't you have somewhere to be? I can tell you where to go if you don't."  
  
Malfoy sneered. At his side, Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles. "Normally, I would have your nose broken for that. But I happen to be busy now. I'm looking for someone. You haven't seen a girly guy with long blonde hair, have you?"  
  
"Like we would tell you if we did."  
  
Ryou nervously sank in his seat, worried that his yami must have ticked somebody else off. It's not us he's looking for, Yami Bakura told him. If it was I would have already sent him to the shadow realm for that "girly" comment. Ryou knew he was exaggerating slightly, but he still wondered how his yami could be so sure.  
  
"Clear out Malfoy. You're not wanted here," Harry said.  
  
"I wouldn't want to stay here anyway, Potter. What with a prima donna, a mudblood, and a welfare recipient all in the same room..."  
  
"You shut up, Malfoy!" Ron said jumping to his feet and getting in Malfoy's face.  
  
"Are you asking to get hurt, Weasly?" Malfoy sneered. "Okay, if that's what you want. Crabbe, Goyle, give him what he asks for." Crabbe and Goyle pulled their fists back, preparing to punch Ron's lights out. But then they stopped. Their eyes glazed over.  
  
"What are you waiting for? Hit this jerk!" Malfoy ordered. Crabbe and Goyle drew their fists back again and let fly... right at Malfoy. He collapsed upon impact and fell heavily to the train floor. Everyone gawked at the sight. Crabbe and Goyle merely stared blankly.  
  
"What... what was that about?" Harry asked.  
  
"Apparently, it's not just me. This guy seems to get on everyone's nerves," came a voice from the hallway. A figure with blonde hair and gold in abundance entered. He nodded toward the occupants. "Yugi. Bakura."  
  
"Malik!"  
  
...................................  
  
R&R! 


	9. The Train Ride

Note to those that e-mail me. My computer is currently down. Though I can post my chapters from school, I can't check my e-mail. Not that I would want some of the e-mail messages I get on the school records anyway... I will respond to all e-mails as soon as I can get to a working private computer.  
  
Okay, a lot of questions you asked are either answered in the chapter or an approaching one. The others, I'll answer now.  
  
Yes, Malik in the dub is horrible if you're used to him in the sub. They totally screwed up his plotline. Marik wouldn't be such a bad name if they pronounced it right. I'm pretty sure that it's another way of translating his name since there's this funny thin with "L" and "R". But it should be pronounced more like "Ma-rik" instead of "Mare-ick." Maybe they changed it because Malik is too much of an ethnic name for them. They use that excuse for a lot of changes. But as bad as "Marik" is now, just wait for Yami "Marik". Something tells me that a character bent on death and destruction will not fit in with their program.  
  
There were several questions about the stat page for Bakura I mentioned. Sorry, I don't remember the site I got it from, but it was official. If you want to see it, e-mail me, and I'll send it to you as soon as my computer problem is fixed. If anyone knows how to translate it, it would be appreciated, as I can't read Japanese. For the curious, the following is the information that I could understand (which isn't even a quarter of the page):  
  
Birthday: September 2nd (year?) Height: 176cm (about 5' 7" or 5' 8") Weight: 52 kg (about 114 or 115 pounds. Skinny, isn't he?) Blood Type: AB (neg. or pos.? Lucky for him, he's a universal blood recipient.)  
  
Chapter 9: The Train Ride  
  
...................................  
  
"Malik!"  
  
Well, that certainly explains a lot, Ryou thought, internally glaring at his yami. He's a bad influence on you...  
  
What? Yami Bakura asked innocently. I don't know what you're talking about. Ryou just rolled his eyes.  
  
"You were invited, too?" Yugi asked, ignoring his yami's internal rants about everything that could go wrong now that Malik was here.  
  
"That's why I'm here," Malik replied dully. He turned to Crabbe and Goyle. "I think you should take your friend back to your compartment now." Yugi and Ryou couldn't help but notice how Malik had one hand deep in his pocket. The goons each grabbed the fallen Malfoy by an arm and pulled him away. Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged looks. What was going on here? Since when did Crabbe and Goyle have the brains to mutiny? Malik closed the compartment door and plopped down between Yugi and Ryou. "So, you didn't know I was coming, Yugi? Someone's been withholding information, then..." Malik glanced at Ryou.  
  
"What?! You don't think he tells me, do you?" Ryou replied defensively before he could catch himself.  
  
"Malik, you're going to get us all expelled before we even get to school if you're not careful," Yugi warned. "Please don't ruin it for the rest of us."  
  
"Relax, Yugi"  
  
"Did I miss something here?" Ron mumbled as he and the other two stared at the new arrival. Malik seemed to finally notice the attention on him.  
  
"Please excuse me," Malik replied smartly. "This is sort of a reunion. My name is Malik Ishtal."  
  
"Any enemy of Malfoy is a friend of mine!" Ron said as he reached out to shake Malik's hand. "Pleased to meet you."  
  
Malik was introduced to the rest of the gang. But Yugi couldn't help but question what Malik had done to get that Malfoy guy so mad at him. "Just a monetary dispute. Nothing to worry about," was the only answer Malik gave. Malik was actually a little disappointed that Malfoy didn't show more signs of their little brawl. He thought he must be losing his touch. Malfoy didn't even have a black eye. Yugi and Ryou (and Yami) could tell that this was going to be the start of a long year.  
  
"So, where are you guys from," Hermione asked.  
  
"Domino City, Japan," Yugi and Ryou replied.  
  
"Cairo," Malik said.  
  
"Wow, you've come a long way just for school," said Harry. "Why didn't you go to a closer school for magic?"  
  
"You mean there are others!" Malik blurted out. "Nobody told me that. Then why didn't one of those schools ask us to attend?"  
  
"I'm sure there's a good reason," Ryou said.  
  
"Yeah," Yugi said nodding, "Maybe the other schools heard about you and knew better than to invite you."  
  
"You speak as though you expect trouble from me," Malik replied with a laugh, knowing Yugi too well to take offense from the statement. "I'm not going to cause any more trouble than, say, Bakura is."  
  
"That's not very reassuring," Yugi mumbled.  
  
"I know," Malik replied with a grin. Ryou sighed heavily.  
  
"Finally," Ron said. "Looks like there will be somebody besides us to get in trouble this year, eh, Harry? If what Fred and George says is true, they're already on Snape's bad side."  
  
"But I didn't do anything to get him mad," Yugi said.  
  
"Doesn't matter," Harry replied. "Snape has this 'guilty by association' thing going on. Don't worry. He's got it in for us, too."  
  
"So," Hermione said, speaking up, "Do you know what house you're in?"  
  
"House?" Ryou asked. "I've heard it mentioned, but I'm still not sure what it is."  
  
"Students at Hogwarts are separated into houses, which basically is just the group you have classes with and room with," Hermione explained. "We're Gryffindors. Malfoy and his gang are prime examples of Slytherins. As you can tell, the two houses typically don't get along."  
  
"That's for sure," Ron muttered. Hermione ignored him and continued.  
  
"There's also the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs."  
  
"Each house has its own reputation," Ron interrupted. "Gryffindors are pretty much known for courage. Ravenclaws are known for cleverness. Hufflepuffs are the hard workers, though they also tend to be pushovers. And the Slytherins are the power-hungry jerks."  
  
"Ron! It's not fair to make those kinds of generalizations," Hermione said.  
  
"It's true, Hermione. The Slytherins are the one's who turn to the dark arts."  
  
"Dark arts?" Malik spoke up.  
  
"Yeah. You know, the bad guys. Bent on destruction and world domination." Ryou and Malik exchanged glances and shivered involuntarily. Been there, done that.  
  
"Uh... How is it decided which house you go to?" Ryou said, nervously speaking up.  
  
"The Sorting Hat," said Harry. "It's this tattered old hat that they put on your head. It kinda looks around in your mind and determines which house you belong in most."  
  
"It looks... in your mind?" Ryou asked. Harry nodded. Ryou sank in his seat again, obviously disturbed.  
  
The witch with the snack trolley came by. Yugi and Ryou didn't really want to spend anymore of their money and Malik never had much of a sweet tooth, but Harry bought plenty and he was more than willing to share. That included Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans.  
  
"Watch it!" Harry warned. "They mean every flavor."  
  
Yugi popped a red bean in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. It was cherry. Malik did the same with a green one. Spearmint. Ryou watched as everyone snacked on the jelly beans before he took one himself. A black one. Liquorish was his favorite. It seemed safe enough. What had Harry meant in his warning? Ryou popped the bean in his mouth. His face then became quite green as he fished desperately in his pockets for a tissue to spit the bean into. Hermione answered his prayers and handed him one. Ryou made several faces, unable to rid himself of the offending flavor.  
  
"What was it?" Malik laughed.  
  
"Black olive," Ryou said.  
  
"That's not so bad," Ron said. "My brother claims to have gotten a booger flavored one."  
  
"And Professor Dumbledore doesn't eat them anymore since he got a vomit flavored one. And earwax," Harry said. Ryou's face progressed through several more shades of green.  
  
"Be about right that Bakura gets the bad flavor," Malik said with a laugh as he picked up another green bean. "Luck never has been on you're side." Malik tossed the bean into his mouth. Ryou smirked, something he rarely did, at the reaction on Malik's face. Malik tore into his bag and pulled out a bottle of water, which he began to gulp down greedily.  
  
"As I recall," said Ryou, "your luck isn't that much better than mine. Jalapeño, right?"  
  
Malik gasped as he finished off the bottle of water, and narrowed his watering eyes at Ryou. "Shut up." Ryou grinned contentedly. Perhaps more of his yami was rubbing off on him than he realized.  
  
Understandably, Yugi, Ryou, and Malik did not eat anymore jelly beans.  
  
They were rapidly nearing Hogwarts and had not yet changed into their robes. Hermione, being the only girl, went elsewhere to change, leaving the boys alone.  
  
"Aren't your robes a little long, Yugi," said Harry. "You'll trip."  
  
"Just...uh, preparing for a possible growth spurt." Yugi said. He'd had his robes made a few inches longer than needed because of Yami. But Yugi's unusually long robes were soon forgotten.  
  
"Whoa! Cool tattoo!" Ron exclaimed. "Where on earth did you get that?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it," Malik said, his voice completely free of humor for the first time since he got on the train.  
  
"Well, does it mean something? Those symbols, I mean. They look a lot like the hieroglyphics I saw on the tomb walls when I vacationed in Egypt." Ron said.  
  
"It wouldn't surprise me if they were the same symbols," Malik replied dully, slipping his robes over his head and covering his tattooed back. Ron seemed to catch on that the subject was closed and let it drop.  
  
Malik had good reason for not wanting to discuss it. His father had carved that tattoo onto his back with a heated knife when he was only ten. He had been bedridden for days because of it, and in pain for much longer. And that pain had spawned Yami Malik.  
  
Seeing the attention the others were getting, Ryou decided to just slip his robes over his clothes. He'd rather not be questioned about the scars, and there were a few of them. Souvenirs from when Yami Bakura was at his worst.  
  
Hermione returned, reporting that they would arrive shortly. Ryou looked more nervous than ever and he absentmindedly lifted the cloth cover off of Nightshade the raven's cage and began to comb her feathers with his quill. Malik eyed the bird, having not noticed a cage before. "A raven, huh? Suits you, Bakura."  
  
"Oh! Is that one of those new trained ravens? The ones who can carry mail just like owls? I saw an advertisement in the Daily Prophet newspaper," Hermione said excitedly.  
  
"Y-yeah," Ryou said.  
  
"They're nice, but I don't think that they'll replace owls. Right, Hedwig?" Harry said, lifting the shade off of Hedwig's cage. She hooted softly in response.  
  
"They can replace my owl," Ron muttered. "Good thing Ginny has him right now."  
  
"I thought about getting an owl," Malik commented, "but I spent a little more than I originally planned to at that wand shop." 'Though I don't know what I'll need that swizzle stick for...' Malik added mentally.  
  
'Oh, that was him,' Yugi thought, recalling Mr. Ollivander's tragic tale. 'There's a surprise.  
  
"I wish I could have brought my cat, Crookshanks," Hermione said sadly. "But with my schedule and being a prefect, I just can't give him the attention he needs. He's happier with my folks. Mom adores him."  
  
"How can anybody 'adore' that animal?" Ron asked. Once again, Hermione ignored him.  
  
It was growing dark by the time train started to slow down. An announcement was heard instructing students to leave their luggage on the train, though Yugi, Malik and Ryou couldn't tell where it was coming from. Students piled out of the train and huddled together to await transportation. Malik glanced around.  
  
"Surrounded by creepy people in dark robes," he said, shaking his head. "I might as well be back with the Ghouls."  
  
"Ghouls? What's that, some kinda club?" Harry asked.  
  
"It sounds kinda familiar," Ron said. "I know I've heard that before."  
  
Malik hadn't realized that Harry and company were still there. He thought he had just been talking to Ryou. He wasn't used to being around this many people. He quickly changed the subject, but unfortunately Ron and Harry weren't the only ones to overhear him.  
  
"Ghouls, huh?" Malfoy said under his breath. "Seems like something he's trying to keep under wraps. I'll have to investigate." He still wasn't sure what happened on the train. Crabbe and Goyle couldn't remember a thing, but he was sure that Malik guy had something to do with it. And Malfoy was not someone to let those who humiliate him get away with it.  
  
"Are we supposed to just stick with you guys, or is there somewhere we're supposed to go?" Yugi asked Harry.  
  
"I don't know. I suppose you need to be sorted, but I'm not sure if they plan to sort you with the first years. Hey! There's Hagrid! He'll know. Hey, Hagrid!"  
  
"Harry? Tha' you?" Hagrid said, looking up from the crowd of first years surrounding him. Harry led the others through the throngs of students to Hagrid. "Ah, I see you've met the new ones," said Hagrid, nodding.  
  
"Yeah, Hagrid," Harry said. "Speaking of which, do you know what they're supposed to be doing now? They're a little confused."  
  
"Professor Dumbledore says they're to be sorted, but not with the firs' years. He'll introduce them himself. But they still have ta cross the lake with me. Come on, now, we've got to be goin'. I'll see ya at the banquet, Harry, Ron, Hermione." Ryou, Yugi, and Malik followed him, with Malik a little more wide-eyed than usual. This Hagrid guy was HUGE! He could probably pick Rishid up with one hand!  
  
As the new students left, Ron pulled Harry and Hermione aside. "Guys, I've been thinking."  
  
"What about?" Harry asked.  
  
"On the train, that thing with Crabbe and Goyle, didn't it kinda remind you of the Imperius curse?"  
  
"Now that I think about it," Hermione mused, "it was sort of similar."  
  
"Do you think that Malik guy could have done it?"  
  
"No," Hermione replied shaking her head. "He said he's never been to a magic school. The Imperius curse is very advanced magic. There's no way he would know how to do it without special training."  
  
"But who's to say he hasn't had special training. We don't know this guy. There must be something special about him to start off as a fifth year at a school thousands of miles away from where he lives."  
  
"I think you're getting paranoid, Ron," Harry commented. "You could say the same thing about Yugi and Bakura, and they seemed alright. Hagrid liked them."  
  
"Harry, remember Fluffy and Norbert? Hagrid liked them, too."  
  
"Yeah, but..."  
  
"And Quirell, and Mad-Eye Moody. They seemed alright at first."  
  
"Ok, ok, you've made your point Ron," Harry said. "But Sirius seemed bad at the start, too. I'm just saying don't jump to conclusions. We have enough problems without looking for them."  
  
Harry and company loaded themselves into the carriages while Yugi and company loaded themselves into a boat with Hagrid. They were amazed that it didn't tip over with Hagrid's bulk. The huge tentacle of the giant squid lifting lazily out of the water didn't do too much for their nerves either.  
  
"Is there any chance we can speak with Professor Dumbledore before the sorting?" Ryou asked, Hagrid. "Yugi and I really need to speak with him."  
  
"'Fraid not. The headmaster's already all set for the sorting. I'm sure you can talk after though. I'll let him know you want to speak with him."  
  
"What about you, Malik," Yugi asked. "Are you going to let him know about... you know." Yugi pointed subtly at the millennium puzzle around his neck. Malik got his meaning.  
  
"No, I don't think I need to," Malik said. "That's not a problem for me anymore. There's nothing to gain from me telling him. If you're worried, go ahead. But I'm not."  
  
"Whoa..." Ryou said, looking past Yugi and Malik. "Look at that..." Malik and Yugi turned to see what was so impressive, and their mouths dropped open.  
  
"Wow..."  
  
"Tha's right," Hagrid said with a smile as he noted the direction of their gaze. "Get your first look at your home 'til summer. Hogwarts castle."  
  
...................................  
  
R&R! 


	10. The Sorting

There were A LOT of requests for which house Yugi, Ryou, and Malik should be in. Unfortunately, not everyone can get what they want. I put them in the houses that made the most sense to me and that made the writing easy. Also skipping writing my own sorting song. That's hard and I am without rhyming dictionary. I can see why Rowling left it out of books 2 and 3.  
  
  
  
Chapter 10: The Sorting  
  
....................................  
  
Harry and company made it the Great Hall and sat down with their fellow Gryffindors. They were eager to speak with Fred and George about Yugi, Ryou, and Malik.  
  
"This new one is even weirder than the other two," Ron said. "Covered in gold, purple eyes, dark skin, but blonde hair. He's strange. But Malfoy doesn't like him, so I guess he can't be all bad."  
  
"Well, Ron I'm sure you look weird to him, too," Hermione said. She obviously disapproved of Ron speaking of these new students like they were there for his entertainment.  
  
"Ron looks weird to me, too, and I've known him all his life," Fred said. "So what? I think it's cool they have their own look going on. For once, us Weaslys aren't the student's at Hogwarts with the most notable hair."  
  
"Yeah, I don't know if I like that," said George. "People might think we're losing our touch if these new guys show us up. We might have to do something about it." Fred nodded his agreement.  
  
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik waited outside the Great Hall with the first years awaiting instructions. Ryou and Malik were heads above everyone else, but Yugi blended in rather well, height wise. Things were going okay so far, but then...  
  
"Bombs away!"  
  
The shout was heard, followed by maniacal laughter. Then, a large clump of white powder landed in the middle of the crowd of student and billowed out, covering several of them in white. They looked up to find a funny looking little man hovering above them holding a bag. Several students gasped and whispers of "A ghost!" were heard. He dropped another clump of powder. Yugi almost suffered a direct hit but he didn't escape completely. The bottoms of his robes were bathed in the white powder. Chaos ensued as the students hurried to try to get out of the way of the falling powder.  
  
"Peeves!"  
  
The students turned to see a stern and very angry looking woman with her hair in a bun yelling at the little floating man. "Peeves! You were warned to stay out of the kitchens! And to leave the first years alone!"  
  
"Oh, but Peeves cannot resist the temptation," the little man snickered. "He wouldn't have taken the flour if the house elves had not put up such a fight with the eggs."  
  
"Drop it now, Peeves!"  
  
"As the Professor wishes," Peeves smirked. He dropped the flour bag into a small group of students, of which, Yugi was in the middle. This time, he could not escape. The half full bag landed on his head, the contents spilling all over him.  
  
"Peeves! You know that's not what I meant! Out now before I get Dumbledore. If you make me disturb him before the sorting, you'll be out of this castle!" Peeves laughed and gave a loud raspberry that seemed to send him flying into and through the wall behind him. His laughter could be heard echoing after him.  
  
Meanwhile, Yugi was covered from head to toe in flour with only his violet eyes shining through the cloud of white. He sighed heavily and shook the powder free of his hair the best he could. Malik made no effort to stop his laughter and neither did Yami Bakura from inside his soul room. His only complaint was that it wasn't Yami instead. Ryou was a bit more sympathetic and helped to brush his friend off, though they couldn't get all the flour off. Yugi was left with a thin, white coat over his skin and clothes.  
  
"I apologize for the rudeness of our resident poltergeist," the stern woman said, addressing the students. "He's like this at the beginning of every year. I am Professor McGonagall. Now, who are my three late-starters?" Yugi, Ryou and Malik raised their hands. "Okay, you three stay at the back of the line. Professor Dumbledore will call for you personally after the first years are through. Everyone now follow me. Stay in line. When your name is called, report to the stool in front and place the Sorting Hat on your head. Then report to the table of the house you are chosen for. Hurry up, there are a lot of you and we're running late."  
  
The line progressed into the Great Hall with Yugi, Malik, and Ryou bringing up the rear. With their height advantage, Ryou and Malik could clearly make out a tattered old hat resting on a stool in the center of the room. The three could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on them. Clearly, the first years were not the object of attention. But gradually, the gazes turned from them to the hat. Ryou, Malik, Yugi jumped when it quite unexpectedly broke into song and began singing about each of the four houses. When it had finished, Professor McGonagall unrolled a long scroll and began reading out names. One by one, first years walked to the hat a put it on. After varying lengths of time, the hat would call out the name of a house. "HUFFLEPUFF!" or "SLYTHERIN!" and cheers would ring out from the chosen house's table as the student joined them. Ryou eyes narrowed in thought as he watched the proceedings. He made up his mind and turned to Yugi.  
  
"Yugi would you please do me a favor?" he whispered.  
  
"Yeah, sure. What do you need?" Ryou reached under his robes and pulled out the millennium ring. He carefully lifted it over his head.  
  
"Would you hold this for me while I'm sorted?" He asked hopefully.  
  
"What?! Why?!"  
  
"That hat thing looks in your mind to decide what house you go in. I don't want you-know-who influencing which house I'm in!" Unnoticed by Ryou and Yugi, several of the first years standing near them suddenly went wide-eyed and began to back away from them, whispering hurriedly to one another.  
  
"But..." Yugi whispered. "What does HE say about it?"  
  
"Nothing. He's asleep. He fell asleep after you got doused with the flour. If he gets mad, I'll take the responsibility, but I won't be able to stand it this year if I get put in a house where the students are like HIM. Please, Yugi. I don't think I can trust Malik with this. He'd wake him up just to see what happens." They both cast glances at Malik who was watching the sorting with fascination. Yugi sighed.  
  
"Alright. Gimme the ring."  
  
"Do you want me to hold the puzzle for you when it's your turn?"  
  
"Yeah. I think so. Yami doesn't mind. He wants me to be satisfied with the house I'm in."  
  
"Thank you, Yugi."  
  
Ryou was looking a little less nervous now. Understanding that they would likely be called alphabetically, Ryou handed the millennium ring over to Yugi just as "Zimmerman, Drake" became a Hufflepuff. He handed it behind his back, hoping it would be less noticeable that way as the three of them were now standing alone. A clash of whispers was heard throughout the room, including at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"That can't be right."  
  
"That's what those first years were saying, Harry." Neville said. A cousin of his had been among the students who had overheard bits and pieces of Ryou and Yugi's conversation. "Those older new kids were talking about You- Know-Who and not wanting the sorting hat to know about him. And the white- haired kid passed something to the short kid. Couldn't make out what it was, though."  
  
"Since when has You-Know-Who recruited in the seventeen and under crowd?" Hermione said knowingly. "Plus, they claim to be muggle-born. A follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would never be or claim to be a muggle-born."  
  
"I'm just telling you what I heard. The first years are saying that those new kids are afraid of the sorting hat looking in their minds."  
  
"But that doesn't make sense," Harry argued. "If they were in with Voldemort, they would know about the sorting hat. And what would be the big deal with the hat anyway? It would just put them in Slytherin."  
  
"Maybe..." Ron said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Maybe their job is to get close to you. If they became Slytherins, they would never be able to hang with Gryffindors. Maybe they're trying to fool the hat into putting them in a different house."  
  
"Starting to sound like trouble for you again, Harry," Neville said with worry in his voice.  
  
"It would explain why they came so far to attend Hogwarts," commented Ron.  
  
"Oh lighten up, little brother," Fred said, dipping into the conversation. "No one with hair that cool could be a bad guy. They're just jokers, like us. Remember that heir of Slytherin thing with Harry a few years ago? It's just a big joke. Besides, those first years are on edge. They just got spooked by Peeves as a welcoming. They're probably making something out of nothing. Now shut up, Dumbledore's about to start." Dumbledore was indeed about to began as he stood up and waited for silence. All turned to face him, including a now disturbed Harry. Dumbledore began.  
  
"Welcome all to another year at Hogwarts. I am happy to see so many familiar faces and so many new ones. Among the new faces in your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor White. Unfortunately, business has kept him from being with us tonight. You will meet him at your first Defense against the Dark Arts classes." Ron, Harry, and Hermione exchanged glances. First night and the new teacher was already missing in action. That was not a good sign. Dumbledore continued.  
  
"As you may have noticed, we have quite a few new students this year. I expect all of you to be as helpful as possible in aiding your new house members in getting adjusted."  
  
"That's right, Harry," George whispered, leaning over. "And if they ask you to go with them to meet their master, be helpful and do as you're asked." Harry grinned a little at the joke. At least Fred and George thought the idea was ridiculous.  
  
"Of course, all old rules still apply. The forest is off limits and students are not allowed in the halls after hours." Dumbledore's gaze seemed to hesitate on Harry's section of the Gryffindor table as said this. The Weasly twins must have thought this was aimed at them, and it may very well have been, for they grinned innocently back at Dumbledore.  
  
"Finally," Dumbledore said. "We are going to have three new fifth years. They have journeyed far to study with us. Though they are as new to our magic as the first years, they possess great potential, and I am sure they will catch up quickly. Please be as courteous them as you are to your other fellow students. I am sure you can learn as much from them as they will learn from you. Now, Professor McGonagall, if you please?"  
  
"Bakura, Ryou. Domino City, Japan."  
  
Ryou (slightly amazed that she had pronounced his name right) took a deep breath and walked to the sorting hat. He lifted it off the stool and almost lost his balance as he sat down. "Yep, there's your minion of You-Know- Who," Fred commented sarcastically. Ryou regained himself and placed the hat on his head. It slipped just pass his eyes. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. Then he heard the voice of the hat. Not in the echoing way it had been when it had called out the house names, but quietly, in his head.  
  
"Hmmm. Several house qualities in here," the hat said. "Not a bad mind. Very determined to prove your worth. Seems to be quite a bit of stress and strain here, too. Seems you've made it through some rough times. You take a stand when it really matters. But something's missing here. It is noticeable when there is place for two souls but only one is present." Ryou's mouth dropped open but he remained silent while the hat continued. It didn't seem like it was going to reveal his secret. "I'm thinking... GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
The final decision rang through the hall. The Gryffindor table cheered. Ryou sighed in relief and slid off the stool. He put the hat down and started to walk back to Yugi to get his ring back and take the puzzle, but Professor McGonagall shook her head and motioned for him to go to his table. Ryou stared helplessly at Yugi, who only waved him off and smiled. He didn't mind. Ryou felt uncomfortable because he wasn't able to keep up with his side of the bargain, but there was nothing to be done at the moment. He walked to the Gryffindor table. Fred and George motioned to him. Ron gave them a look, but they didn't care. Ryou took a seat next to the twins and opposite Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He turned to watch as his fellows were sorted.  
  
"Mouto, Yugi. Domino City, Japan."  
  
It seemed that they were being called by place rather than name. Yugi, with both the millennium puzzle and the millennium ring hidden under his robes, stepped up to the sorting hat. He picked it up and with much difficulty sat down atop the stool. He had to manipulate his hair a bit to get the hat on properly. He then heard the voice of the hat in his mind.  
  
"Ah. Another crowded mind, eh?" 'Apparently, Bakura had been unable to keep his Yami a secret,' thought Yugi.  
  
"You're smart, there's no doubt about that," the hat said. "And there is a regal air emanating from the soul who shares this body with you. Very confident. Downright cocky, if you ask me."  
  
Watch it, hat... Yami murmured.  
  
"Moody, too. But I see the source of his frustration. No matter. It's clear to me where the both of you belong... GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
Yugi climbed down off the stool, happy that he was at least going to be in a house with people he knew. Yami was grumbling a bit about smart-elect hats. He really needed some mental stimulation. Yugi sat beside Ryou and passed the ring back to him under the table. Now that his sorting was over, Ryou wasn't as worried about the ring being seen. He allowed it to be visible for a moment as he slipped it around his neck and then under his robes. Hermione caught a glimpse of it and opened her mouth to ask about it, but Ron kicked her under the table and motioned that the sorting wasn't over. It was Malik's turn.  
  
Malik walked confidently to the stool and sat down. He started to lower the hat onto his head. It had barely brushed the top of his hair before it shivered and called out "SLYTHERIN!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Malik burst out.  
  
"WHAT?!" came the distinct voice of Malfoy. The Slytherin table didn't seem to care if either of them liked the fact that Malik was in their house, as they clapped and cheered anyway. All except the few who cared about the death glances Malfoy was giving them.  
  
"But I..." Malik began to argue.  
  
"Go sit at your table, please," Professor McGonagall instructed. The sternness in her voice told Malik that there was no arguing himself out of this. He grimaced and put the hat down rather roughly and walked to the Slytherin table muttering something along the lines of "stupid hat" along the way. He took a seat at the end and as far away from Malfoy as possible. He didn't sulk, though. It would be a sign of defeat. He just put on a mask of confidence and told himself he had nothing to be concerned with. After all, the millennium rod was still in his pocket. Nobody was going to mess with him...  
  
...................................  
  
R&R! 


	11. We're Off to See the Wizard!

I'm afraid I must disagree with those of you who don't think Malik is Slytherin material. He was probably baddest non-yami character in the whole show. He made Pegasus look like a joke (sorry Pegasus fans, but his evil doesn't compare to Malik's) If you're stuck with the dub, you probably don't know this but Malik did kinda try to kill Yugi and friends on more than one occasion. Not to mention his own minions. AND he uses the millennium rod on Ryou! Yeah, he had a rough life. And towards the end of Battle City, he fights for the right reasons, but the potential for evil is still there and he is nothing if not a little power hungry. That, my friends, is why I put Malik in Slytherin. I feel the reasoning behind the placement of the other two is obvious.  
  
Chapter 11: We're off to See the Wizard!  
  
Malik knew that his new house would not make things easy for him. He very much did not like his fellow Slytherins. He had hoped that it was just Malfoy and his cronies, but after a little observation, he saw that most of his housemates were the same. Egotists to an extreme that even Yami would find repulsive. Every single one of them had an attitude as if he or she knew a big secret and couldn't wait to tell, but didn't dare. It was as if they thought they'd be ruling the world one day. Malik couldn't stand them, and at least for one Slytherin, the feeling was mutual.  
  
"Who does that guy think he is?" Malfoy complained under his breath to Crabbe and Goyle, who, as always, did nothing but nod and grunt in reply. "It's a privilege to be a Slytherin, and he's acting like that. And WE will have to share a room with this guy. Wonder if all that gold of his will fetch a good price in London... Probably not even enough to even things up. I can tell that, like him, it's dirty and of poor quality."  
  
"Hey, Draco," a fellow Slytherin said, leaning in. "Didja hear what them first years are sayin'? They heard some of those new guys talkin' about the Dark Lord! But not just talkin'. It was like they knew 'im and wanted to keep it quiet."  
  
"I don't believe that for a second," Malfoy replied. "The Dark Lord has better taste than that. Why on earth would he recruit the likes of them? Besides, Father would have mentioned it. He tells me everything. For instance... Keep this quiet, you hear? Right now, they have a bunch of Death Eaters in Egypt. It hasn't been revealed what they're doing, though. I just know they're looking for something." In truth, Malfoy hadn't been told anything. He just happened to overhear bits and pieces of his father's conversations. But there was know fun in telling that.  
  
"So you think them first years were lying?"  
  
"That or the new kids were. It wouldn't surprise me. Especially that one." Malfoy pointed to Malik, who noticed but didn't seem to care. "They were probably just claiming to know the dark lord."  
  
That closed the subject. Malfoy knew he would have to make Malik's life a living Hell just to break even. Malik knew he would have to make Malfoy's life a living Hell to assert his dominance. In short, the Slytherin house (and the teacher in charge of keeping the peace there) would be seeing Hell. Absentmindedly, Malik once more buried his hand in his pocket and gripped the millennium rod as if he sensed he was going to need it.  
  
At the Gryffindor table, Yugi stared forlornly at the empty plate in front of him. He was starving. He hadn't eaten anything except a few jelly beans since breakfast. He sighed.  
  
"Something wrong, Yugi?" Hermione asked. She was not going to be put off by Ron's paranoia.  
  
"Just hungry is all. How long 'til they bring the food in? This is a banquet, right?"  
  
"Sure is," Harry said. Hermione had broken the ice again, and the four-and- a-half foot tall boy still covered in a thin layer of flour didn't seem very intimidating.  
  
Even Ron was starting to doubt the danger of the new students. First years weren't a very good source of information anyway. So he decided to volunteer his information to the newbies. "Dumbledore'll start the feast in a minute."  
  
As if on cue, Dumbledore stood again. "The Sorting is complete. Remember... while at Hogwarts, your housemates are your family. Those with more experience should set a positive example for the new arrivals. Help them in their times of need. Be understanding and compassionate. And now, I'm sure we are all quiet ready to eat."  
  
Dumbledore clapped once and the plates, dishes, and glasses filled with food and drink. Yugi's eyes grew wide, first in surprise, then delight as he stared at the bowls of steamed vegetables and the plates of pork and potatoes. Then he remembered what Ryou had told him about English food...  
  
"Umm... Suppose I don't want to eat anything that has kidneys or intestines in it. What should I eat?" he whispered to Ryou.  
  
"The chicken's probably safe. And the vegetables. But stay away from the pies, sausages, and casseroles."  
  
Yugi nodded and helped himself to a spoonful of potatoes. "It seems the house elves have been catering to your tastes," Hermione observed as she pointed out a few dishes of fish, noodles, and rice. "They're good about that." Yugi didn't see the point in letting consideration going to waste, so he helped himself to the specially prepared food. The other students seemed to have the same distrust of his food that he had had of theirs. Ryou, however, was curious again.  
  
"House elves?" he asked Hermione, as see seemed the most inclined to share information.  
  
"They make the food and do the cleaning and such," she responded. "And they like it, for some strange reason. Won't even accept pay or days off for the most part. But they're happy. You don't see them often, though. They just send the food in by magic." Ryou nodded in interest and took some food for himself.  
  
Yugi was just about to start eating when something stopped him. That something was a head sticking through his plate. A transparent head.  
  
"Ahhhhhhh!" Yugi shrieked. Ryou was speechless. The transparent figure continued to rise until the whole form was "visible". It was dressed in very old fashion clothes complete with a frilled collar. Yugi and Ryou stared in awe.  
  
"D-did you let something out Bakura?" Yugi stuttered. Ryou shook his head slowly. It wasn't one of his cards.  
  
"'Lo, Nick," Harry responded, almost dully.  
  
"Hello Harry. It has been a while. Did you have a nice summer?"  
  
"The usual."  
  
Yugi and Ryou stared as Harry held his casual conversation with what appeared to be a ghost. Harry didn't notice their confusion for several minutes.  
  
"Oh, sorry. This is Sir Nicholas, the Gryffindor ghost. Also known as Nearly-Headless Nick." Rather than waiting for the question that always came about why he was known as "nearly-headless" Nick just shrugged his shoulder slightly and showed them. Yugi and Ryou gasped as Nick's head swung off and rested on his shoulder, connected only by a thin bit of transparent skin and sinew.  
  
"Coo- Wow..." Ryou muttered. He'd almost said "cool". That would have been a bit of a strange response to someone's head just tipping over. Yugi was a bit slower to recover from this shock than Ryou was.  
  
A few more shouts were heard as the rest of the ghosts made their appearances. One of which Yugi was pretty sure was Malik. The Bloody Baron had arrived at the Slytherin table.  
  
Halfway through the meal, Yugi stopped for a moment with a look on his face as if he were listening to something only he could hear. Then he sighed and rolled his eyes. "Would you guys happen to know how far away from the castle you have to be for electronic equipment to work?" he asked. Ryou had a sneaking suspicion this wasn't Yugi's question.  
  
"Farther than you're allowed to go," Ron answered. Hermione, of course, had more info to provide.  
  
"Technology gets fried if you try to use it here. You'd have to go about five or ten miles out at least before you are far enough away from the magic of Hogwarts and Hogsmeade for electronics to work. You could get in big trouble and it's not worth the effort."  
  
Yes it is! Yami argued even though Hermione couldn't hear him. We have the duel disk, it's a waste not to use it, even if I do have to duel with Malik or the Grave Robber.  
  
What makes you think they brought their disks? Yugi asked.  
  
I just... know. It is a duelist's instinct to be prepared.  
  
We'll worry about it later. We're not walking ten miles tonight.  
  
We could just move through the Shadow Realm...  
  
You're not getting me expelled the first day. Yugi said firmly. Maybe Bakura will duel you later. Yami basically did his equivalent to pouting and went quiet.  
  
Many of the students had finished eating and a few tables were leaving with confused new students following closely behind the prefects who knew the valuable passwords. The Gryffindor table was just getting up when Ryou and Yugi heard a voice behind them.  
  
"Hagrid informs me that you wish to speak to me..." The boys turned.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!"  
  
"Have I been informed correctly?"  
  
"Y-yes," Ryou said. "It's important, and... we'd rather not discuss it here." Yugi nodded  
  
Dumbledore's expression didn't change. He simply gestured for them to follow him. Hermione was about to speak up, but Dumbledore beat her to it. "I shall send Professor McGonagall with them when things are settled. You needed wait up, Hermione."  
  
From the Slytherin table, Malik spied his companions heading off with the headmaster. This was the only way he could think of to solve his problem. He jumped up from the table and rushed toward them. "Professor, may I speak with you, too?" Dumbledore nodded. As they left the Great Hall, Ryou gave Malik a curious look. He responded with a shake of his head. "Not about that," he whispered.  
  
When Dumbledore was out of earshot, the twins got at it again. Fred pulled Ron close. "Oh little brother! See how the feared transfer students move on with their fiendish plans!" he said dramatically.  
  
"They plot to corrupt our dear headmaster!" George said. "It's terrible, it really is...The next time we see our beloved headmaster he will be a different man..."  
  
"Oh, yes," Fred continued. "He'll be wearing earrings and makeup and have his beard dyed purple! Oh, the horror!"  
  
Harry and Hermione laughed. Ron's ears grew red and he roughly shoved his brothers away as they repeatedly hollered "Makeover of doom! Makeover of doom! Watch out, or they'll be after you, too!"  
  
Dumbledore led Yugi, Ryou, and Malik through a series of corridors and stairways (with the boys staring at the moving pictures on the walls as they passed them), finally stopping at a stone gargoyle. "Orange slice," he said. The gargoyle sprang to life and stepped to the side, revealing a doorway behind him. After the platform at the train station, the food appearing from nowhere, and the ghosts, the gargoyle wasn't that much of a shock. The boys were finally getting used to things in the wizarding world. So they thought, anyway.  
  
They went through the doorway and up yet another flight of stairs. The castle was even bigger that it had looked to them from the outside. They entered Dumbledore's office at the very top. They noticed a jeweled sword in a glass case, with Ryou trying very hard NOT to notice it. He knew his yami was partial to blades. Pictures of past headmaster and headmistresses stared down at them, literally. And sitting quietly on a perch next to Dumbledore's huge desk was a fledgling bird of scarlet red. It appeared to be no more than a few weeks old and was at the point where it would just be starting to fly. Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk and faced Yugi, Ryou, and Malik.  
  
"Now... tell me what is on your minds..."  
  
....................................  
  
Yes, evil place to stop, I know; I'm sorry. But I must pace myself. Can't be helped, I'm afraid. I'm lucky I found time to write this much. Once more for those who e-mail me, my computer is still broken, but it's being worked on. I haven't had access to a private computer in weeks and I do apologize. I will answer e-mails as soon as possible, just please be patient.  
  
R&R! 


	12. Meet My Other Half

Another weekend gone, and computer still broken. *sigh* It's being worked on, though. Hopefully I'll be able to get to those e-mails soon. There are some that I am REALLY looking forward to...  
  
A few of you asked what the whole deal with Malik using the rod on Ryou was. Normally, I would e-mail the answer, but that is impossible at the moment. Of course, this is a SPOILER!!! so if you don't want to know don't read the next paragraph.  
  
Initially, Yami Bakura had no intention of working with Malik. When he first met him, it was basically "Give me your millennium item or feel my wrath." Malik was unimpressed and was willing to fight about it if Yami Bakura insisted. Seeing that Malik wasn't going to make things easy, Yami Bakura decided that maybe a shadow game wasn't the best way to get what he aimed for. So he decided to strike a deal instead. Malik didn't really care about the millennium items, including his own. He just wanted Yugi dead. Yami Bakura wanted the millennium items and didn't care who he had to kill to get them. So they agreed that if Yami Bakura would kill Yugi, Malik would give him the rod. Now what happens next wasn't really explained in the anime and I haven't gotten that far in the manga, so what I say next is speculation. It is an old tradition to seal a pact with blood. Yami Bakura takes out a knife and stabs himself in the upper left arm, and then seems to have a grand old time playing in the blood. Then, for whatever reason, he seems to allow Ryou control again. Ryou is, of course, very confused. I believe this is where Malik takes advantage of the situation. He uses the millennium rod to implant a bit of his mind in Ryou. He does this for several reasons: one, to be able to control the real Bakura whenever he felt the need (this did not work on Yami Bakura, who wasn't very happy with Malik for using the rod on his light), and two, to communicate with Yami Bakura without anyone knowing about it. It also came in handy when Yami Malik took over. Malik was able to use his influence on the Bakuras to fight back. It was amusing to see Yami Bakura and Malik dueling together because Yami Bakura does not like being told what to do and that is really all Malik could do in the state he was in.  
  
Well, that's the low down on the millennium rod and Ryou. If I happen to be misinformed on any of this, I will gladly post corrections if someone tells me.  
Chapter 12: Meet My Other Half  
  
"I think there's been a mistake with my house."  
  
"How so, Mr. Ishtal?"  
  
"I don't belong with those... I don't belong with them. I already don't get along with Slytherins."  
  
"I'm afraid your placement has already been decided. There's no changing it. You will just have to learn to get along with them. Perhaps it is not as bad as you think."  
  
"But that stupid hat made a mistake! I'm not like them!"  
  
"You may have more in common than you realize," Dumbledore said, his eyes almost smiling as the rest of his face remained serious. "The Sorting Hat doesn't make mistakes. You will just have to make adjustments."  
  
Malik fumed. He wasn't used to not getting his way. "I'm just trying to prevent trouble, Professor," he said. "There won't be any peace in that house, especially with that Malfoy kid."  
  
"Mr. Malfoy... is one of our most difficult students to get along with... but I know you will make every effort."  
  
"No promises."  
  
Malik turned to leave. "Professor Snape should still be in the Great Hall. You should ask him to help you find your way," Dumbledore said. Malik kept going without answering.  
  
Malik took slow steps down the stairs from Dumbledore's office. He took deep breaths, trying to calm down. He hadn't been this angry in a while and it scared him. Something as small as this shouldn't upset him so. Maybe he wasn't as in control as he thought. Isis and Rishid weren't here to help him, and his different house separated him from Yugi and Bakura. Maybe he should tell Dumbledore. Yugi and Bakura were probably going to tell his secret anyway. But he decided against it. He was calm again. No sense in upsetting things more. He wasn't going to start any problems. He was just there to go to school. But should anyone else start problems, he sure as Hell wasn't going to take it.  
  
Back inside the office, Dumbledore sighed. This was going to be another one of those years. "Now you two also have something you wish to speak with me about?"  
  
"I... I'm not quite sure where to start..."  
  
"It's best to start at the beginning, Mr. Mouto."  
  
"Um... Well... I feel you should know so... I guess I should start by saying that me, and Bakura, and... well, never mind. We don't exactly have magic the way you all do."  
  
"Elaborate, please."  
  
"Well, you see, when I was younger, I found this puzzle in the back of my grandpa's game shop," Yugi said, pointing to the millennium puzzle as he spoke. "It's known as the Millennium Puzzle and it's from ancient Egypt. I spent eight years trying to solve it. When I finally did was when I got magic. My power comes from the puzzle." Dumbledore listened intently but said nothing. Ryou took a deep breath and started to tell his side.  
  
"It's much the same with me," he said, reaching under his robes and revealing his millennium item. "My father found this while on a trip to Egypt. He bought it in a bazaar with me in mind. That was when I got magic. So I guess what we're trying to say is that there might have been some mistake when we were invited."  
  
Dumbledore nodded in thought. "Cases such as yours are uncommon, but not unheard of. Magical items have existed for as long as magic itself has in the form of amulets and such. But you would have to have at least some magic yourself to use them. If you were completely without magic, these items would be of no use to you." Dumbledore smiled in a comforting way. "You needn't worry. You belong here as much as any other student."  
  
Dumbledore must have expected this to make them feel better, but it didn't. The hard part was yet to come. "There's more that we feel you should know," Ryou said. He scratched his head in confused thought. "I don't quite know how to explain it. Yugi?"  
  
"Well... You see Professor, the puzzle and the ring didn't just contain magic. There was...something else."  
  
"Oh, spit it out, Yugi!" came a harsh voice from Ryou's direction. Ryou's eyes went wide and he quickly covered his mouth. Dumbledore gave him a curious look. "P-please excuse me," Ryou stammered. His yami was getting impatient again. But it was the boost Yugi needed.  
  
"It wasn't him, Professor. Not really. You see, the millennium items were created by ancient Egyptian sorcerers. And they kinda became attached to them. Bakura and I are the reincarnated forms of the former owners of our millennium items. And the spirits of those former owners are with us. They've been part of us since we found our millennium items." Dumbledore said nothing. There really isn't anything you can say to that. This was one even he hadn't heard of before. The awkwardness was broken by a knock at the door. Dumbledore gave permission to enter.  
  
"Professor? I just wanted to inform you that the schedules for tomorrow are complete. They're ready to be handed out in the morning," said Professor McGonagall as she entered.  
  
"Yes, that's fine Minerva. Please come in. I think you should hear this." Professor McGonagall looked confused but did as she was asked. Her confused look progressed as Dumbledore told her what Yugi and Ryou had just told him.  
  
"And why... do you feel the need to tell us this... belief of yours?" she asked.  
  
"Because," Ryou said, deciding it was his turn to explain things, "Sometimes these spirits take control. The us you see may not really be us. We're possessed, really, and sometimes it can be dangerous if someone happens to catch these spirits at a bad moment. They can be, uh, temperamental." Again, there was nothing to be said to that.  
  
Yugi sighed. "I guess it would be easier to show you. It won't do anybody any good if you don't believe us."  
  
"It's not that we don't belie-"McGonagall began, but she was cut off we she saw the pyramid around Yugi's neck begin to glow. Yugi grew taller and his hair flared out even more than it usually did. But these things were barely noticed. It was as if something pulled the gazes of those in the room away from the changes every time they were focused on. Had they had no magic, they probably wouldn't have noticed the changes at all.  
  
With the transition complete, Yami opened his eyes. The expressions on Dumbledore's and McGonagall's faces weren't exactly shocked, but definitely intrigued. Even in the magic world, possessions of this nature were rare. Yami however, was almost bored. He looked in Ryou's direction. "Well? Don't pretend you're not there now. You have to come out, too." The change in Yugi's attitude and voice made McGonagall doubt that this was simply the trick of a good actor. Dumbledore's expression was unreadable.  
  
"You don't tell me what I have to do. You have no authority over me." It was obvious to Yami that Yami Bakura was in control, but he was being difficult and keeping Ryou's appearance. Only his tone of voice had changed. Yami Bakura could easily mimic the normal Bakura and it often made it difficult to tell who was really in control. For once, Yami Bakura was not blocking out Ryou, who was pleading internally for the spirit not to make him look crazy.  
  
Yami was very much not in the mood for Yami Bakura to be acting up. He wanted to get this over with. Yami Bakura saw the look in Yami's eyes, considered pressing his luck, but thought better of it. He gave a low laugh and allowed his identity to be revealed. He eyes narrowed menacingly and his hair flared and spiked slightly. His transformation was less obvious than Yami's, but he was a thief; he wasn't supposed to be showy.  
  
"And you two would be?" Dumbledore asked, speaking up for the first time in a while. "It is apparent that you are not the same as you were."  
  
"I'm the spirit of the puzzle," Yami said. "Most call me Dark Yugi, Yami Yugi, or just Yami for short."  
  
"What's with the sudden modesty, Pharaoh? What about your other titles, King of Games?" Yami Bakura mocked. Yami gave him another look but Yami Bakura was unfazed.  
  
"And what about you?" Dumbledore said.  
  
"I am Dark Bakura, Yami Bakura, or just Bakura."  
  
"His other titles would be Grave Robber, Tomb Raider, Soul Stealer..." Yami muttered.  
  
"You can't insult me that way. I'm proud to be those things."  
  
"Would you please tell us about yourselves?" Dumbledore interrupted in a business like manner. "I am unfamiliar with a situation such as yours. I need to know if I should be concerned.  
  
"I will do nothing to obstruct the lessons here," Yami replied. "Yugi wanted to come here in hopes of learning more about magic and maybe a little more about the millennium items."  
  
"Well, I am personally not familiar with them, but perhaps you could find something in our library," Dumbledore said. "We have many books on the old magical cultures."  
  
"Or perhaps some other member of the staff," McGonagall said. She was getting over the strangeness of the situation and was now seeing it as simply an issue of two of her Gryffindors.  
  
"I'm not so sure that we should involve the rest of the staff, Minerva," Dumbledore said. "If this proves not to affect the education or safety of our students, then I see no reason to inform the staff or students. You should know because they are in your house, but I see no sense in unfounded fear. No doubt that part of the reason these student came to our school was for a fresh start. Am I correct?"  
  
"That's true," Yami said.  
  
"May I ask, why do you call each other 'pharaoh' and 'grave robber'."  
  
"That's what we were in the past, before we were sealed in our millennium items," Yami answered. "Anything else?"  
  
"You call yourselves 'dark'. That has a negative meaning here," Dumbledore said.  
  
"Well, we do possess the powers of the dark," Yami replied. "And we are dark in comparison to our other sides. But if you mean evil, no. We're not evil."  
  
"At least not anymore," Yami Bakura commented. Yami gave him a look that plainly said "must you bring that up?" "No sense in denying our past. I used to be quite violent. I enjoyed it. I'm a thief, it's in my nature. I just have more self-control now. Yami over there used to be fond of driving people insane. He killed people, too. Course now he's a goody-goody."  
  
"I don't sense any malice from you now," Dumbledore said. "I feel you are telling me the truth. But is there any reason to your knowledge that you would revert back to your old ways?"  
  
"Only one."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"If someone threatened our hosts," Yami and Yami Bakura said together.  
  
"I don't allow any harm to come to Yugi," Yami said. "I would have to punish anyone who tried to hurt him."  
  
"My entire existence relies on Ryou. If something happens to him, I'm stuck in that ring again. And I don't want to be stuck in that ring again."  
  
"That, I suppose, is understandable. I am protective over my students in much the same way. But I don't believe you need to worry. Hogwarts is probably one of the safest places in the world."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"But," Dumbledore said, "I would like to know more about the kind of magic you possess."  
  
Yami Bakura smiled. The ring began to glow. Darkness billowed out like smoke until it filled the room, enveloping them all. Yami rolled his eyes.  
  
"Did you really feel that a demonstration was in order?"  
  
"Hey, would you rather explain it?"  
  
Yami sighed. "Fine, carry on." It was difficult to explain the magic of the millennium items to someone who had never seen it.  
  
"Where are we?" McGonagall said in awe as she stared at her surroundings.  
  
"The Shadow Realm," Yami Bakura replied. "A dimension separate from the world you know. Much of our power resides here. But the ability to travel here isn't the only power I have... Each millennium item has a unique power. Besides harboring my soul, my millennium ring also has the power to locate other millennium items. The magic of Yami's puzzle makes him practically undefeatable. But that's not all..."  
  
Yami Bakura reached under his robes and pulled his and Ryou's deck out of his back pocket. He began to shuffle it casually as he spoke. "Back in ancient Egypt, there existed monsters. Real monsters. Only those with the power of millennium items could control them. When we were sealed in our items, the monsters lay dormant. Years later, a popular card game was created from images of the monsters. I can now use these cards to summon those monsters." He pulled a card from the top of his deck. "Ah, a personal favorite. Dark Necrophia!"  
  
The ring and the card glowed and the monster appeared at Yami Bakura's side. "We normally summon these monsters to be used in the games of darkness which are played between owners of millennium items as a means of determining fate. Losers of these games suffer the consequences." He looked at Yami. "Are you going to make me do all the work?"  
  
Yami sighed and pulled out his deck. He pulled a card off the top. "I summon Black Magician." His monster appeared and Yami smiled mischievously. "Black Magician, attack!"  
  
"What the-"  
  
Black Magician attacked and destroyed Dark Necrophia. Yami Bakura fumed. "Now why did you have to and do that?!"  
  
Yami shrugged. "I thought we were demonstrating. Usually when you summon a monster, you lose shortly after."  
  
Yami Bakura sneered. "I would have won that last one if it wasn't for that damn god card."  
  
"I...believe we've seen enough..." Dumbledore said. "Please, let's return."  
  
"As you wish."  
  
The Shadow Realm disappeared and Dumbledore's office reappeared. "Well, is that all you need to know," Yami Bakura said. Yami had ruined his fun so he was in a hurry to get this little interview over with.  
  
"How often," McGonagall began, unsure of how to phrase what she wanted to say, "how often are you going to be the personalities in control?"  
  
"Never during classes," Yami answered. "Only during convenient moments."  
  
Dumbledore sighed thoughtfully. "I...would not be truthful if I said I was not concerned," Dumbledore said. "But I am a strong believer in innocent until proven guilty. I also don't feel that your...other selves should be denied an education. So unless you should prove yourselves untrustworthy, you are welcome at Hogwarts. Both sides of you."  
  
"Thank you," Yami said.  
  
"Is there anything you would like to know?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"Yes," Yami said. "Is there anyway around the no electronics rule?"  
  
"I'm afraid technology doesn't work here."  
  
"So I've heard. Perhaps I can get permission to go far enough out of range to use my holograph system?" Dumbledore and McGonagall had no clue what a "holograph system" was.  
  
"It is not a good idea," Dumbledore answered. "As I've told your other half, these are dangerous times. It is best to stay close to the castle." Yami didn't like the answer, but he accepted it. For the time being anyway.  
  
"One more thing," Yami Bakura said. "I'm three thousand years older than you are. Any chance I can get special permission to have alcohol?"  
  
"No. I don't think that is a good idea either."  
  
"Well, thanks anyway," Yami said before Yami Bakura had a chance to argue. "We're going to return to our items now."  
  
"About time this was over," Yami Bakura said. "It took less time to introduce myself to Ryou..."  
  
"That was because you introduced yourself by trapping his soul in a card..." Yami murmured.  
  
Yami Bakura paused. "Oh, yeah... Introduced myself to Yugi the same way..."  
  
"And was sent to the graveyard because of it..."  
  
Yami Bakura chose not to respond. Instead, he returned to the ring and Ryou reassumed control. He was relieved to have it over with, but it was still awkward. He didn't want his yami to affect the way people thought of him. At least the whole school wasn't going to know about it. Yami, seeing that he was no longer needed, also returned to his millennium item.  
  
"I'm glad you understand our situation, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall," Yugi said when he gained control.  
  
"Thank you," Ryou agreed.  
  
"There is one more thing," Professor Dumbledore said.  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"Your friend, Mr. Ishtal. Am I correct in assuming he has a similar situation?"  
  
"Uh..." Yugi muttered. Malik hadn't wanted anyone to know.  
  
"His magical aura was similar to yours," Dumbledore continued. "Does his magic also originate from a millennium item?"  
  
"Well, yes," Yugi said. "It does."  
  
"And does a spirit also reside in this millennium item?"  
  
"No," Yugi answered truthfully.  
  
"That is all I needed to know. Minerva, would you show them to the Gryffindor common room?"  
  
"Of course, Professor. Please wait for me at the bottom of the stairs, boys. I will be with you in a minute."  
  
Yugi and Ryou did as they were told, closing the door behind them. Professor McGonagall looked at the headmaster. "Those boys are going to have a rough time this year. What with having to catch up and dividing their time between two personalities."  
  
"I know."  
  
"You didn't ask what unique power the other boy has. Perhaps Severus needs to know."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head. "I feel that if he was a threat, the other two would have told me."  
  
"I wish I was as trusting as you Albus."  
  
"Goodnight, Minerva."  
  
She nodded. "Why can't we ever have a normal school year?" she remarked as she exited. Dumbledore smiled.  
  
................................  
  
This chapter was a lot of work, so please R&R! 


	13. The Dorm

Sorry for the lateness. Three essays this week and I'm not even in English anymore... Ugh...  
  
Someone known only as "." was kind enough to post the stats for Ryou, Yugi, Isis, and Malik in the reviews for last chapter. If you're interested in when Malik's birthday is or just how tall Yugi is, check it out. Thanks to the person who volunteered this information.  
  
Also thank you to The Incarnation Pokemon (I hope I got the name right, I don't have the reviews handy) for those web addresses. I'd been to that site, but lost the address when my computer crashed and missed all the updates. Thank you very much.  
  
...................................  
  
Chapter 13: The Dorm  
  
Malik wandered back into the Great Hall where only a few members of the staff remained, none of which Malik knew, except for Hagrid, which left the giant as Malik's only source of information.  
  
"Excuse me, Hagrid?" Hagrid turned to see who was addressing him.  
  
"Ah, Malik, right? What can I do for yeh?"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore said I need to see Professor Snape to find my dorm room. Could you tell me which one he is?"  
  
Hagrid pointed over his shoulder. "Over there." Malik looked in the direction indicated. 'Of course this Professor Snape had to be the creepiest guy in the place,' Malik thought. 'Figures.'  
  
But Malik was not stupid. There was already a great deal of tension between him and his housemates. The best thing to do was to get in good with the guy in charge, namely Snape. But Malik was used to being the boss, so authority figures were new to him. He wasn't quite sure how to act, so he had to think first. Now, which of his underlings had always impressed him most? That was easy, Rishid. So how would Rishid act in this situation...?  
  
Malik walked up to Snape, keeping his head low. He waited for Snape to notice him before speaking.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Excuse me, sir," Malik said, swallowing his pride, "But I have been in a meeting with the headmaster and missed instructions to the location of the dorm rooms. Professor Dumbledore said I should ask you for help."  
  
"And are you asking or are you merely stating your situation?"  
  
'Great,' Malik thought. 'Arrogant and a butthead besides. I can't believe I have to kiss up to this guy...' "I'm asking, sir. Would you please show me the way?"  
  
"Come with me."  
  
Snape led Malik out of the Great Hall and down a series of steps. Along the way, Snape felt obliged to find out a bit about his new student. It was his duty as the leader of the Slytherin house.  
  
"Why did you travel so far to attend Hogwarts?" Malik thought this was a good opportunity to win some favor.  
  
"I heard it was the best, sir. I wouldn't want to go anywhere but the best."  
  
"Then why did you appear unhappy to become a Slytherin?" Snape retorted. Malik hesitated.  
  
"I...it's just that I was not impressed with Slytherins that I had met so far. It seems that a few members of the house are a bit disrespectful of other cultures. I didn't want to be in a house where I would be prejudiced against." There. That was a good answer.  
  
"There will be no such prejudice in my house, you can be assured of that." Snape said. "I don't allow such displays of ignorance from my students." Had Harry or any of his friends been there, no doubt they would have argued that statement on behalf of the muggle-borns. But now Snape was going to ask the question that would most affect his opinion of Malik. "How long has your family practiced magic?"  
  
"It can be traced back about five thousand years," Malik answered.  
  
"Five thousand? That is impressive. Yet you are not familiar with modern magic?"  
  
"We practice the old ways. Tradition was important, especially to my father. But I would like to broaden my horizons. There isn't much of a future to look forward to if you live in the past."  
  
"Well said, Mr. Ishtal. But the past plays an important role in our future, don't you agree?"  
  
"It plays a role, yes. But I don't feel that it should dominate it. We learn from the past, but cannot focus our lives upon it. I would rather keep my eyes forward."  
  
Snape nodded. "That is a valid point of view. You are well-spoken for your age and I doubt that is due to the language charm. You should make a fine Slytherin." Malik beamed. It was amazing how far the right words could take him. At least being on the teacher's good side would make things a little easier.  
  
Snape led Malik to the entrance to the Slytherin dorm room, where he informed Malik about the password ("Dragon liver") and took him as far as the common room. There were only a few students left there, and a quick glare from Snape told them it was time to go to bed. Snape pointed Malik to a staircase leading even farther down, indicating that that was the bedchambers for Malik's year. He then advised Malik to turn in for the night. Tomorrow was, after all, the first day of classes.  
  
Malik stepped slowly down the dank dungeon-like steps. He really didn't like having to kiss-up to anybody and it put him in a foul mood. Malfoy and his goons didn't help either.  
  
"Well, well. He didn't run away. I'm surprised," Malfoy crowed. "I thought for sure that you were going to cry to Dumbledore to let you go home because you couldn't take being a Slytherin."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you," Malik muttered sarcastically. "I have to stick around to make your life a living Hell..."  
  
"Bold words coming from someone who doesn't even know how to use a wand," Malfoy retorted. "I'll bet you can't even perform a simple spell. That's why you had to resort to cheap tricks back at the robe shop."  
  
"Back off, Malfoy, I am so not in the mood for this right now. Don't mess with me."  
  
"What's wrong? Time of the month, is it?" Crabbe and Goyle chuckled at the crude remark. Malik just shook his head and walked over to a spare bed at the end of the room. He wasn't going to sink to their level. Least, not now, anyways.  
  
He ignored them as they continued to laugh at little jokes that they whispered to each other. He pulled the green velvet curtains around his bed, giving himself a bit of privacy. He changed out of his robes into an oversized T-shirt and baggy shorts, the only pajama quality clothes he had, as Egypt really didn't require them. He then dug a laundry bag out from his trunk and stuffed the millennium rod safely inside and placed it under his bed just as his curtains were flung open.  
  
"Hello, again."  
  
"Geez, can't a guy get any privacy around here!"  
  
"We're housemates. Practically brothers by Hogwart's standards. You don't need to hide anything from us."  
  
"Go away, will you? It's bad enough I have to have classes with you, I don't need you aggravating me before I go to bed, too."  
  
"I just wanted to show you around the place," Malfoy said, spreading his arms wide in a gesture of peace. "As you can see, these are the beds. The bathroom is up the stairs and to the right, next to the fireplace. And this..." He picked up a pitcher that had been resting on the windowsill. "This... is the water jug." Malfoy then turned the jug over, pouring all of the contents right on top of Malik's bed. Malik could only stare in shock.  
  
"Welcome to Slytherin," Malfoy sneered, placing the now empty pitcher back on the windowsill and turning back towards his bed and exchanging signals of success with his goons.  
  
Malik narrowed his eyes dangerously as he watched Malfoy go, clenching his fists and breathing deeply.  
  
"This. Means. War."  
  
....................................  
  
"They've been in with Dumbledore for a long time," Hermione observed. They were all in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione had a book in her lap and Harry was losing spectacularly to Ron in chess. Fred and George and several of their friends were up in their dorm. There was an awful lot of noise coming from up there, which did make Harry and company wonder what they were up to. Most of the other Gryffindors had already gone to bed.  
  
"You worry too much, Hermione," Harry commented.  
  
"Wonder what was so important," Ron said, "that it had to be said in private."  
  
"Could be anything," Hermione answered. "Maybe they were just embarrassed to bring whatever it was up in front of us."  
  
They let it drop at that. Not long after, the door to the common room opened and Yugi and Ryou took their first steps into the Gryffindor common room. They seemed surprised to see such lush surrounding concealed behind a painting. McGonagall greeted Harry and company and then advised that they all go to bed, for classes began the next day. She pointed the stairs leading to the dorm room out to them, then left to retire to her own chambers. Yugi and Ryou ventured deeper into the common room to get a better look at things. Yugi's expression changed dramatically when he saw what Harry and Ron were doing.  
  
"Oh, chess!" he said. "May I-" But Ryou was quick to cut him off as soon as he realized what was going on.  
  
"No, no, no," Ryou interrupted. "The professor said bedtime. We really should be going to sleep now."  
  
"But I-"  
  
"No. You'll thank me later," Ryou said firmly, steering "Yugi" towards their chambers, practically having to push him up the stairs before he finally gave up and complied.  
  
"What was that all about?" Harry asked.  
  
"I dunno, they're weird," Ron answered. "What's the big deal abut playing a game?"  
  
In the bedchambers, Yugi (having regained himself) and Ryou found that their trunks had been brought up for them.  
  
"They must really be on the ball here," Yugi observed quietly so as to no wake up the other boys that were already sleeping near them. "They didn't even know we were going to be in this house, and already all our stuff was brought up and our beds made."  
  
"Great service," Ryou agreed. "Not bad accommodations, either," he added, touching the soft scarlet-red velvet curtains around his bed. Both boys changed into their pajamas and climbed into their beds. But falling asleep was a hard fought battle. They couldn't stop thinking about tomorrow. It wasn't until after Harry and Ron came up and went to bed themselves that sleep finally found them. Ryou dreamed about turning toads into teapots and riding on the back of a dragon. Yugi dreamed that his and Ryou's yami and Malik ran amuck painting mustaches on the moving paintings and then were congratulated by the Weasly twins as Dumbledore kicked them out of school.  
  
Sunlight streamed into the Slytherin fifth years' bedchambers. Malfoy tried to ignore the sun's attempts to wake him. In the end, it wasn't the light that finally stirred him from sleep.  
  
"Wha. What the.?" Malfoy stammered as he felt his own damp bed sheets. He jumped out of bed. The sheets, the blankets... and even his own pajamas, were damp with water.  
  
"Finally awake, eh, Malfoy?"  
  
"You!" Malfoy exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Malik, who was already standing fully dressed at the entranceway to their chambers. "You poured water on my bed while I was asleep!"  
  
"I didn't do anything. You poured the water on there yourself in a childish prank. But then you were so kind as to switch beds with me. I slept wonderfully, thank you."  
  
"Wha...What?" Malfoy said stupidly. Then he realized where he was. His bed was normally the one closest to the door. He had just gotten out of the bed farthest away, the bed Malik had had. "Wh-what did you do? Move me in my sleep?"  
  
"No. You moved on your own. You even moved the trunks. Ask your cronies if you don't believe me."  
  
Malfoy turned to see Crabbe and Goyle standing on the sidelines. Crabbe scratched his head. "He's right," he said. "You did do it own your own."  
  
"But I don't remember that!" Malfoy protested.  
  
"Well...You still did it," Goyle said. "We saw you. You said you were sorry and asked to switch beds 'bout an hour after you poured the jug on the bed."  
  
"I wouldn't do that!"  
  
"That's what we thought... Well, anyway, we're goin' to breakfast. See you there, Draco." Malfoy watched dumbfounded as they left. They heard the door of the common room slam after them. Malik laughed, low and menacing.  
  
"I told you not to mess with me..." he said as he himself turned up the stairs. Malfoy narrowed his eyes, his mind racing frantically for an explanation. He growled in anger and frustration.  
  
"How'd that guy do it?" he muttered aloud to himself. Then his eyes widened as the only explanation he thought possible came to mind. "That bastard... He knows the Imperius Curse!"  
  
The Great Hall bustled with the activities of breakfast. Steaming plates of sausages and bacon and pitchers of milk and juice crowded the tables. Yugi and Ryou sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The newbies watched in awe as dozens of owls streamed in carrying packages and letter. These were just some of the daily occurrences they would just have to get used to.  
  
A crowd formed around the unmistakable voices of the Weasly twins. The Gryffindor fifth years couldn't see what was going on, but the procession was moving towards them. The group gawked as the crowd finally cleared and the twins sat beside their brother.  
  
"Hello all," Fred cheered. "Notice anything different?"  
  
"What did you do to yourself, you nut?!" Ron exclaimed. His shock was somewhat understandable, for, you see, Fred's hair was a vibrant shade of green. George's was an electric blue.  
  
"Yugi and Whitey gave us a brilliant idea for the joke shop," George answered. "Color Bombs! Completely safe and wonderfully effective. Slip one into food, and the person walks away with a multi-colored mouth. And as you can see, it works in shampoo, too."  
  
"Unfortunately, we're not sure yet as to how long before it wears off," Fred added. "We'll have to work on that." Fred turned to Yugi and Ryou. "Well? As our inspiration, your opinion is important. And suggestions? Complements? Fashion tips?"  
  
"Uh... No comment," Ryou answered, returning to his cornflakes and trying to conceal the humorous smile that was threatening to reveal itself on his face.  
  
"It's great!" Yugi said, not bothering to act mature like Ryou. "Very creative."  
  
"Morning Yugi. Bakura." The boys turned, already knowing who was addressing them.  
  
"Morning Malik," they answered.  
  
"Venturing from the Slytherin table into the domain of Gryffindors," Ron observed. "You brave soul. Didn't anyone tell you that it's sort of an unspoken rule that the two houses don't associate if they can avoid it?"  
  
"I'm sort of a breaker of tradition," Malik answered, attempting to sit beside Ryou. Hermione put up her hand to stop him.  
  
"You can get away with breaking an unspoken tradition, but sitting with your own house at meals is a widely spoken and enforced one. They'll just make you move if you sit here. They want you to bond with members of your own house."  
  
"That's stupid. Have you MET the members of my house?"  
  
"Sadly, yes," Harry answered. "But that's the way things are. And here comes one of your housemates now. He's always a pleasure," he added sarcastically.  
  
Malfoy shoved past a pair of second years to get to their table, looking furious the whole time. "Consorting with Gryffindors? That's about right, you belong with scum like them."  
  
"What do you want now, Malfoy?" Malik said in a bored manner.  
  
"I don't know how you learned to do it," Malfoy began, "but you can be sure I'm going to expose you for it. You can't get away with things like that."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Malik replied innocently.  
  
"You don't think you can manipulate me with magic without consequences, do you?"  
  
"Manipulate you with magic? I'd like to see you prove it."  
  
"I'll find a way to. Count on that. Expulsion is the best you can hope for. Use of the Imperius curse can land you in Azkaban, and I'll do my best to make sure that's exactly what you get!" With that, Malik stormed off to the Slytherin table. Malik cocked an eyebrow is slight confusion.  
  
"Imperius curse? Azkaban? What the Hell is he talking about?" Malik asked.  
  
"Azkaban is a wizard prison. The worst," Hermione volunteered. "And the Imperius curse is a very advanced spell that allows a witch or wizard to control another person. It's outlawed and there is no tolerance for it. It's a very serious accusation." Ryou and Yugi looked nervously around. Malik, however, kept cool.  
  
"I've never even heard of such a thing. And I just started magic; how am I supposed to know how to perform some complex spell?"  
  
"You shouldn't, and that's why Malfoy won't get anywhere with his threats. But still, you shouldn't go looking for trouble."  
  
"I'm not afraid of him..."  
  
.............................  
  
R&R! 


	14. Irish Pygmies

Thanks again to The Incarnation Pokemon for the updated website. Shall have to add it to my faves. Thankies.  
  
Also a big thank you to StarryNights for all that character info (located in the reviews for last chapter for the curious). I will certainly use some of that in my story. Who knew Malik didn't like meat? I certainly wouldn't have pegged him as a vegetarian. And Seto is a fellow Scorpio (as I am)? 'Tis nice to know. *snicker* Ryou's fav food is cream puffs! How fitting! ^_^ This info made my day!  
  
....................................  
  
Chapter 14: Irish Pygmies  
  
With breakfast almost complete, the schedules were handed out. Each of the students examined their classes.  
  
"What do you have today, Malik?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Herbology... Care of Magical Creatures... And Ancient Ruins."  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures second? I think you're with me and Yugi."  
  
"Yeah, the Slytherins are always with us for that class," Harry sighed.  
  
"Potions, too," Ron muttered as he examined the rest of his schedule. "Double potions with those lousy Slytherins tomorrow. That bites." Then Ron remembered himself. "No offense, of course," he said glancing at Malik.  
  
"None taken. What other classes do you guys have, Bakura?"  
  
Ryou checked his schedule again. "History of Magic first. Defense against the Dark Arts later."  
  
"Yep," Yugi agreed. "Sounds interesting."  
  
"Defense against the Dark Arts isn't usually bad," Harry said. "It depends on the teacher. We've had a new one every year. No one can seem to hold onto the job. Don't know who it is this year."  
  
"But History of Magic is always boring," Ron added.  
  
"How can goblin wars and magical discoveries be boring?" Ryou inquired.  
  
"I don't know, but they manage it somehow," Ron said. "What's your other elective?"  
  
"Divination," Yugi and Ryou answered simultaneously.  
  
"Oh..." Harry, Ron, and Hermione moaned.  
  
"What's wrong with it?" Ryou asked.  
  
"Oh, the teacher doesn't know what she's doing. Makes it up as she goes. It's all bull," Harry said.  
  
"Plus every year she figures a new way to predict Harry's death," Ron added. "Better watch it this year, Harry. She might slip a few extra Death cards into your Tarot deck."  
  
"I wouldn't put it past her," Harry nodded.  
  
"The Death card doesn't actually mean death usually, you know," Ryou said. He got a few strange looks. "I kinda know about that sorta thing. Death actually means a drastic change."  
  
"Oh, we got her on a technicality this year, Harry," Ron beamed. "Guess she'll have to stick to using tea leaves and crystal balls to foresee your inevitable doom."  
  
Harry shrugged. "I've been dying for two years now. Guess she thinks she'll have to get it right eventually. Course that might be sixty years from now."  
  
"Well, we have double Potions and double Divination on the same day. If that doesn't kill us, what can?"  
  
"Why is it you she decided is going to die?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Yeah," Malik added. "Why not another person? Or better yet, that Malfoy guy?"  
  
"For one, Malfoy isn't in Divination, so she can't pick on him," Hermione answered. "For another, I'm sure she's just looking for publicity. She'd be renowned as a true seer if Harry Potter died and she predicted it."  
  
"What's the big deal about him?" Malik asked.  
  
"You don't know?" Hermione seemed shocked. "You have been sheltered from the magical world."  
  
"This one, anyway," Malik muttered under his breath.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. Continue."  
  
"Did any of you read about the dark times about fifteen years ago? And a very dark wizard, known most commonly as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You- Know-Who?" Hermione waited for a reaction, but got only blank and confused expressions. She elbowed Ron and quietly whispered, "Told you so. Either they don't even know what I'm talking about, or they should be actors, not wizards. Dark wizards, indeed!"  
  
"You never know," Ron whispered back defensively.  
  
"Well anyway," Hermione said, getting back on track, "Harry, would you prefer to explain it? It is your story."  
  
"I guess so," Harry mumbled. "When I was a baby, the dark wizard Voldemort (most don't like hearing his name) came to my parents' home and used magic to kill them. He tried to kill me, and it backfired on him. He disappeared for a while and everyone thought it was the end of the dark times. So I was made famous by something I had no control over. And Voldemort has been popping up lately, so I didn't defeat him, but I still get all the attention."  
  
"That was...blunt, Harry," Hermione commented.  
  
"Short and to the point," he answered. "They'll hear all about it in History of Magic, no doubt."  
  
"Well," Yugi started, sensing that this was an awkward conversation for Harry's group, "why doesn't that Divination teacher predict something good? Why doesn't she predict this Voldemort guy's downfall or Harry finishing him off or something?"  
  
"Had a lot of close calls," Harry said. "Guess she's playing the odds. Figures I'll run out of luck eventually." And with that, the subject was dropped.  
  
Malik had to return to his own table to get some breakfast for himself. He didn't have to be happy about it, though. His fellow Slytherins (mostly first years) were sure to give him plenty room and he was left to eat his grapefruit in peace.  
  
A bell rang, signaling the official start of the school day. Malik grabbed his book bag and followed the other Slytherins outside to the greenhouses. Ryou and Yugi grabbed their bags and headed towards History of Magic with Harry and company. Upon reaching the classroom, Yugi and Ryou chose seats next to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They were slightly startled when the teacher appeared through the board. They hadn't realized that the professor for this class was a ghost. But they quickly recovered.  
  
Harry and company had not been kidding when they said History of Magic was going to be a bore. Fifteen minutes into the class, Yugi could barely keep his eyes open. It was the same with just about every other person in the class, including Hermione. There was one exception. Ryou was hanging onto every word like he'd never heard anything more interesting then the Hag Rights Act of 1764. He listened intently, scratching down notes every few minutes. By the end of class, he was the only one who hadn't fallen asleep at least once.  
  
Malik wasn't any better off in Herbology. Malfoy volunteered to be his partner, so he knew something was up, but Professor Sprout had them already down as partners before Malik could protest. Today, they were pruning Snapdragons. Sprout had instructed Malfoy to be sure to help Malik, as he was new, while she went to get more potting soil. Malfoy conveniently forgot to mention that Snapdragons don't like being pruned and show their dislike with a nasty bite. Plus, he had "forgotten" to remind Malik to wear his dragon hide gloves. The only thing that saved Malik from potentially losing a finger was a quick movement that left the Snapdragon biting the armband around his wrist rather than his hand. He was unharmed but his robes were slightly torn where the Snapdragon had caught them. Malik was not happy. He then "forgot" to tell Malfoy that he had placed the ferocious plant on the boy's chair when Malfoy wasn't looking. Malfoy was not happy.  
  
The Gryffindors were glad to be able to go outside to stretch out a bit after sitting through History class. It was time for Care of Magical Creatures, so they all headed out to Hagrid's hut. Harry, Ron, and Hermione couldn't help but wonder what disaster Hagrid had planned for this year.  
  
Several medium-sized crates had been placed right outside of Hagrid's hut. The giant beamed as he placed the last of them down. "Mornin' all!" he called cheerfully. "Got great plans for today's class!"  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "Maybe that death prediction WILL finally come true, knowing Hagrid's idea of 'great'..."  
  
The Slytherins approached from the greenhouses, Malik and Malfoy surprising in one piece though their robes were quite torn. Ryou started to ask Malik about what happened, but the look he got told him that it may not be a good idea.  
  
"Gather 'round!" Hagrid called. The students obliged. "Had to get special permission from the headmaster for these. I'll expect you to be very gentle with these, as they're not fully grown. Yer in fer a real treat!" Hagrid got down to his knees and pried open the lid of a crate. He scuffled a bit with what was inside before finally revealing to them the contents.  
  
There were a few gasps as the students took in the creature. It was green and about the size of a cat. A long tail, reptile scales, spikes running up the spine, a serpent-like head which Hagrid had in his firm grip as he cradled the beast like a baby. One could almost swear it was a...  
  
"It's a dragon!" Dean Thomas exclaimed.  
  
"Right you are!" Hagrid cheered, unable to conceal his excitement. He had always been partial to dragons. "Take five points for Gryffindor. This is an Irish Pygmy, the leprechaun's dragon. Very rare, they are. The world's smallest dragon. These are all from the same batch of eggs and they're all only 'bout two months old. Haven't even shed their baby teeth yet!"  
  
"What's the point of a small dragon?" Malfoy said with his usual attitude. "It's just a little bitty thing, what's the good of it?" Hagrid looked hurt. He couldn't understand how anyone could find such a creature useless.  
  
"If you had bothered to do any research," Hermione said, coming to Hagrid's defense, "you'd know that smaller dragons have their purpose, too. A dragon's size affects the potency of the potion ingredients you get from it. Smaller dragons are used for weaker potions. Like a sleeping draft. If you use powdered scales from a large dragon for it, whatever you use it on will be asleep for days. If you use scales from a small dragon, it works for just a few hours."  
  
"Exactly right!" Hagrid said, "'Nother five for Gryffindor! Now, since these little guys are so young, we're going to be making a project out of raising them and harvesting potion ingredients from them this year."  
  
A few Slytherins groaned, but the majority were excited. Ryou's eyes were wide with interest. Yugi was a bit more hesitant, but he was still looking forward to it.  
  
"Now, we don't have that many dragons, so you'll have to get into groups of two, three maybe."  
  
Like lightning, Malik grabbed Ryou by the shoulder and pulled him close. "Got our group!" He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. There was no way he was going to be stuck with Malfoy and a dragon. Malfoy seemed to be thinking along the same lines and made no attempt to join them. Ryou gave Malik a sideways glance and sighed. He HAD wanted to be grouped with someone who knew what they were doing. This was just the blind leading the blind.  
  
"That's good ta see," Hagrid said, "houses intermixin'" Malik nodded in agreement. Ryou just rolled his eyes.  
  
They rest of the groups formed. Malfoy went with Crabbe and Goyle. Harry joined Ron. Hermione volunteered to go with Yugi. Hagrid handed each of them a crate.  
  
"Now," Hagrid began, "Firs' thing we're going ta do is get associated with 'em. Might want ta muzzle 'em first. They have a bit of a bite."  
  
"Uh, Hagrid?" Harry asked. "Is there anything we should know about these things? Like, are they poisonous? Do they breathe fire, or something?"  
  
"Not poisonous. Too young to breathe fire. Don't do that 'till about five months. The tail can make a nasty whip, but it's not really anything to worry about until the spikes start ta grow on 'em. An' their legs are to short for 'em to jump very high."  
  
"How big are these things going to get, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.  
  
"'Bout the size of a dog or large cat. They've done most of their growin' already. Just need ta finish maturin'. In a week or so, they'll shed their first skin. Tha's really good for a potion for mild pain relief, like headaches and such. Madame Pomfrey's goin' ta love it! Now get started!"  
  
Malik stared down at his group's crate. "Bakura, how do you associate with a dragon?"  
  
"How should I know? This is the first dragon I come across that isn't a duel monster."  
  
"I suppose it'll be happy so long as it's fed, but I certainly don't want to be the one to feed it. I already almost lost a finger once today."  
  
"Uh, Hagrid?" Ryou asked, "Are we supposed to feed it?"  
  
"Naw, the seventh year's fed 'em this morning. S'how I know they need to be muzzled. They're a bit snippy."  
  
"Oh, great," Ron mumbled. "Pass the muzzles, Hagrid..."  
  
One by one, the students opened their crates. Hagrid had made handling the miniature dragons look a lot easier than it was. The Irish Pygmies were very cranky after being in those crates and they made these feelings known. Luckily, the crates were just tall enough to prevent them from jumping out. Course that left a problem.  
  
"Bakura, reach in there and put the muzzle on it."  
  
"Are you crazy? You put the muzzle on it!"  
  
"Quit being a coward and put the muzzle on it!"  
  
"I'm blocking it with the lid. You reach around and just slip the muzzle on."  
  
"No way!"  
  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Yugi watched Malik argue with Ryou with amusement on their faces. "They make it a lot harder than it has to be," Harry observed.  
  
"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Okay, Harry, put the muzzle on ours."  
  
"What?! Uh-un. You do it!"  
  
"Oh, no, I'm not sticking my hand in there! You do it."  
  
Hermione and Yugi sighed heavily. "If you distract it, I'll put the muzzle on," Yugi offered.  
  
"Agreed."  
  
Because they were the only ones who didn't argue, Yugi and Hermione were the first to muzzle their dragon. But after that, there were somewhat stumped as to what to do with it.  
  
"What now, Hagrid?"  
  
"There's a box 'o leashes over there. Fix one 'round the middle and led them on the grass a bit. Shouldn't be a problem once the muzzle's on. Remember, the dragons'll treat you like you treat them. They're bad 'bout holdin' a grudge, so be gentle."  
  
"Who's afraid of this puny little thing's grudge?" Malfoy mumbled, kicking the crate of their still un-muzzled dragon once Hagrid wasn't looking. The Irish Pygmy hissed in protest.  
  
Because Ryou had been stuck muzzling the beast, Malik had to hold the leash. Once out of the box, the dragon had no interest in attacking and seemed to rather enjoy its little walk. It sniffed around and moved surprisingly fast on its short legs. Malik had to practically run to keep up with it.  
  
Soon the whole class was walking their dragons and it was quite enjoyable. Occasionally, a dragon would decide it wanted to fight with its littermate or a leash would slip out of someone hand, but overall, the class went well up until the end.  
  
"'S'almost time fer lunch, so start packin' up the dragons!" Hagrid called.  
  
Malfoy's group, the last to get their dragon out, was the first to put it back. The creature seemed to understand that it was getting a raw deal and snapped at Malfoy's hand as the muzzle was removed.  
  
"Ah! Stupid beast," Malfoy muttered and kicked the crate again. The dragon squealed as it was tossed against the wall of its crate.  
  
"You know, a little tenderness goes a long way," Hermione advised.  
  
"No one asked you, mudblood."  
  
"Hey," Yugi defended. "She was just trying to help."  
  
"S'okay, Yugi," Malik said. "There's no point in talking to Malfoy. He doesn't know good advice when he hears it." Malfoy answered that by stomping at Malik's dragon, which was stilled leashed at Malik's feet. The creature was startled and ran, but it had nowhere to run except around Malik, who had no time to react. The leash wound round his legs, he lost his balance and fell, luckily avoiding landing on the dragon. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and the rest of his followers among the Slytherins laughed. Hagrid ran over to straighten things out. But with them focused on Malik, no one noticed Ryou, who was standing beside Malfoy's crate, his eyes narrowed and a smirk evident on his face. Yugi alone saw this, but it was too late to do anything. Yami Bakura was in control.  
  
Yami Bakura placed his foot on Malfoy's crate and slowly tipped it over. The miniature dragon streaked out, un-muzzled and un-leashed, right at Malfoy and goons. It hissed its attack. Malfoy saw the dragon racing toward him and his eyes went wide. He turned and ran, Crabbe and Goyle right behind him. The Gryffindors laughed hysterically to see Malfoy and his cronies being chased around by the cat-sized dragon.  
  
"No! Don't run!" Hagrid yelled. "It'll just chase you!"  
  
"And if I stick around it'll just bite me!" Malfoy called back angrily.  
  
"No, no! Don't run towards the woods! Run this way! I'll catch it!"  
  
They did as they were told. They ran past Hagrid, and the giant nimbly grabbed the pygmy and tried to calm it.  
  
"I tol' yeh not to make it mad," Hagrid scolded. "Yeh got it all worked up!"  
  
"Well, excuse me if the vicious dragon is upset!" Malfoy panted. He turned angrily to see what had allowed the dragon's escape. Yami Bakura still had his foot resting on the crate, as if daring Malfoy to accuse him. Malfoy wasn't intimidated and marched right over while Hagrid struggled to relax his dragon. "You!" he said, pointing a finger at Yami Bakura. "You did this!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"You knocked the crate over!"  
  
"No, I don't believe so. Malik, do you know anything about a crate being knocked over?"  
  
Malik smirked, holding the untangled leash and shaking his head. "Nope. Don't know anything about it."  
  
"I know you did it!" Malfoy said, shaking with rage.  
  
"Prove it." Yami Bakura said simply.  
  
Malfoy growled in anger. "You two will pay for this humiliation. I swear to it!"  
  
"Bring it on anytime, Malfoy," Malik said. "Anytime..."  
  
....................................  
  
R&R! 


	15. The Past and the Present

Oh, I keep forgetting that question about the size of the rod!  
  
Really, they never seem to keep the rod a constant size. One episode might have it two and a half feet long, another has it a size that would easily fit in a cargo pocket. It varies. Just a little screw up on the part of the animators.  
  
Also, there were a few questions about the progress of the plot. Much like the Harry Potter books themselves, the major plot is somewhat left out of the middle. Promise, I haven't forgotten about the Voldemort bit. I'll get back to that part, say, when the story progresses to around Christmas. I'm not just putting it off, I DO have a reason, but that is a guarded secret.  
  
Chapter 15: The Past and the Present  
  
....................................  
  
"I saw what you did," Yugi said to Yami Bakura as everyone headed back toward the castle for lunch, Malik off to the side by himself. "You really shouldn't get involved in Malik's little squabbles with that Malfoy. You're going to get Bakura expelled."  
  
"Ryou's not going to get expelled. No one saw me but you. I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Why did you do it?"  
  
Yami Bakura closed his eyes and smirked in a bemused sort of way as he walked. "Just felt like getting in on the chaos. That, and Ryou asked me to."  
  
"He asked you to?" Yugi was shocked.  
  
"He's afraid of Malik getting pushed too far. Asked me this morning to help him out every once in a while after he saw how he and Malfoy were fighting, just so Malik knows someone's got his back." Yami Bakura grinned. "Plus it's not everyday Ryou asks me cause trouble."  
  
Yugi shook his head but smiled. At least Ryou wasn't going to be caught off guard by Yami Bakura's interruption.  
  
"Well, I'll get back to my soul room now, but you'll be seeing me again later," Yami Bakura said. The only sign that the ring activated was a faint glow about Bakura's neck, for the ring was concealed under his robes. Ryou had been aware the whole time, so he was not taken by surprise. Yugi looked at him and seemed impressed.  
  
"Well," Ryou said scratching his head and blushing, "I just wanted to take some precautions, you know? I remembered how Rishid kept Malik under control just by being there for him."  
  
"It's a good idea," Yugi agreed. "I just hope you put limits on the amount of trouble he can cause."  
  
"I said he couldn't kill anybody or cause permanent damage, either purposely or inadvertently. Or get me expelled. So basically, he has free range, so long as he doesn't get caught."  
  
Everyone trudged up to the castle for lunch. Malik didn't pause at Gryffindor table this time. He had been glad for the assistance at the time, but now he was feeling like Yami Bakura had interfered. Like he couldn't fight his own battles. He wanted to know why Yami Bakura got involved, but he wasn't going to ask in front of everybody. He'd wait.  
  
The students sat down to lunch. Harry and company felt a bit awkward around Ryou. They'd seen him take Malfoy getting in his face without flinching. And they suspected he really had turned the dragon loose. But now he was so good-natured and friendly, laughing and joking with everybody. Their suspicions were soon forgotten.  
  
Half-way through lunch, Nightshade the raven flew in and dropped a letter on Ryou's plate. She then perched on his shoulder and he fed her a cracker from his lunch. "See?" Ryou said. "Every bit as good as an owl."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Ryou opened it and examined the contents. "Just a card from Father."  
  
"Oh, that's right! Your birthday, I forgot. I'm sorry," Yugi apologized. "Happy birthday."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"It's your birthday, really?" Hermione asked. Ryou nodded. "Well, happy birthday!" Ron and Harry gave their good wishes as well.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Nightshade's pretty good if she was able to find your father," Yugi observed.  
  
"Yeah, she scared the life out of him as well," Ryou said through a smile as he read the card and attached letter. "It took ten minute of her flying around his head before he realized that she was just trying to give him the letter I sent."  
  
"Can I borrow her to send a letter to Grampa and the guys?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Their conversation was then interrupted by Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Potter, I've been asked to inform you to report to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom."  
  
"Now? What for?"  
  
"I'm sure I don't know. I'm simply delivering a message, but I believe Professor White wishes to speak to you."  
  
Harry did as he was told and left the Great Hall. 'Why on earth would the teacher want to speak to me alone before class?' Harry wondered. He couldn't help but be suspicious. Of his last four Defense against the Dark Arts teachers, two had tried to kill him, and one tried to erase him memory. He hesitated outside the classroom door.  
  
"Please come in, Harry," came a voice from the other side. Harry gulped and entered.  
  
The professor was standing with his back to him. He was tall, at least six feet. His blonde hair was scruffy and looked as if it had never been exposed to a hairbrush. When he turned around, Harry saw an un-kept mustache, also blonde. But the eyes... There was something about the eyes.  
  
"It's nice to see you, Harry," Professor White said. His voice was low, almost at a whisper, but there was something familiar about it, too.  
  
"Um, nice to meet you, too?" Harry said cautiously.  
  
"If you don't recognize me, then I know that this is a pretty good disguise," the professor said with a laugh. It was the laugh that gave him away.  
  
"Sirius! I-I don't believe it!"  
  
"Shhhh," Sirius hushed. "I'm undercover."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Times are bad. Dumbledore wanted somebody close to you this year. The parents might have a problem with a convicted murderer teaching Defense against the Dark Arts, so meet Professor Robert White! Snape's been making me a special potion to alter my appearance, though I think he did it on purpose to make me as ugly as possible."  
  
"W-why didn't you just hide out like last year? It's too dangerous here. What if you're caught?"  
  
"Only a few members of the staff know. Hagrid doesn't even know, just in case he gets talkative while drinking again. Besides, I can only keep so close a watch from Hogsmeade. And this way, I can help you prepare in case you need to defend yourself. I can give you private lessons. More advanced defenses."  
  
"Th-that's great!" Harry stammered excitedly. This was going to be the first time that he had real family close by without having to worry about being caught.  
  
"I wish it were all a joyous occasion," Sirius said solemnly. "But this is important training. We need to get right to work."  
  
"Alright. Where do we begin?"  
  
"I think we should start with something you should know, but may need some refreshing on. You had a lot of trouble with this a couple years ago."  
  
"Dementors?"  
  
"Bingo. The ministry is doing everything they can to keep them on our side. But they won't be able to hold the alliance with the promise of so much fear and despair for the dementors to feed on if they join Voldemort. So..." Sirius stood and led Harry over to a cabinet in the corner. "I've arranged for a substitute. We have a little time to get started before class."  
  
"Boggart in the closet?"  
  
"Boggart in the closet."  
  
....................................  
  
"You!"  
  
Down in the Great Hall, half the Gryffindor table jumped at the poisonous sound of Snape's voice. He was on the warpath again. Cautious eyes turned to see who was being addressed.  
  
"You," Snape said again, as he approached the section where Yugi, Ryou, Ron and Hermione were sitting. His target was made obvious as he seemed to hover over Ryou.  
  
Ryou gulped. "Y-yes?"  
  
"Am I to understand that there was a problem between you and one of my students during your last class?"  
  
"N-no, sir. It was a s-simple misunderstanding," Ryou stammered. "I did nothing wrong."  
  
"That's not the way I hear it," Snape snapped.  
  
"Uh, sir," Hermione said, coming to the rescue. "Hagrid handled it outside, and he determined that it was an accident and not Bakura's fault. One of the Irish Pygmies just got loose."  
  
"Things like that don't just happen, Miss Granger," Snape said dangerously. But he couldn't challenge the authority of another teacher, even if it was Hagrid, if he didn't have proof against their ruling, and Hermione knew this.  
  
"I shall be watching you, boy," Snape hissed. "In the meantime, deliver this to Professor White in Defense against the Dark Arts." He handed Ryou a flask.  
  
"I-I'm going there next, sir. I'll just take it with me when I go."  
  
"Now, Mr. Bakura."  
  
"But I don't know where the classroom is!" Ryou started to argue, but it was too late. Snape had turned and walked away.  
  
"It's okay, you can't miss it," Ron said. "It's not far from the common room. You know how to get there, right?" Ryou nodded. "You just go a little past the painting of the Fat Lady. It's the classroom next to the statue of Haggard the Humble. Easy to find."  
  
"A-alright..."  
  
"You want me to go with you, Bakura?" Yugi offered.  
  
"No, that's alright. I'll be fine. You finish eating. I'll be fine."  
  
Ryou made his way slowly out of the Great Hall. He had a bad feeling about this. But Harry HAD just gone there himself, so he supposed it would be alright. He walked past the Fat Lady, as instructed, and soon spotted the statue. There was no question that he was at the correct room. "Professor R. White" was on a sign beside the door. Ryou knocked softly on the door, hoping not to disturb the teacher. Ryou heard a voice inside. He hesitated. Was he being told to enter? He wasn't sure. The door was solid with no windows. He couldn't make out what was being said. He heard the voice again, a bit louder, but he was still unable to clearly make out the words. He thought it said "come in," so he took a deep breath and stepped inside...  
  
................................  
  
"Are you ready, Harry?" Harry nodded. Sirius was about to open the cabinet containing the boggart, but paused. "Did you hear something?"  
  
"No," replied Harry, shaking his head.  
  
Sirius shrugged it off, assuming he had been imagining it. He opened the cabinet door and unleashed the boggart, which transformed into a dementor as soon as it was released. The room immediately went cold. Harry tensed up in preparation. The dementor made its way slowly to Harry's corner of the room.  
  
"Don't wait too long Harry," Sirius warned, "it's coming."  
  
Mere seconds later, the heavy door to the room opened, startling all in the room, including the boggart.  
  
"Excuse me, Professor," said Ryou as he walked in, "but I was told...to..." Ryou went silent as he looked up. At first, he saw a hooded figure that looked like Death itself, but then...  
  
Harry and Sirius had no time to react. The boggart was quicker to recover from Ryou's sudden appearance then they were. Before their eyes, the boggart turned its attention from Harry to Ryou, changing its form to suit its new target. Harry and Sirius were having a difficult time processing what they were seeing. The boggart had apparently turned... into Ryou...  
  
Ryou's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped at the figure that loomed before him. That familiar gaze, that sadistic sneer... He gasped as it stepped toward him. Ryou backed up until his back was pressed against the wall behind him. The flask fell from his hand and clattered to the floor.  
  
"You've had too much freedom... Perhaps it is time I reminded you who is in charge, my landlord..."  
  
The room went dark around them. The darkness of the shadow realm. Fear took hold of Ryou. His legs could no longer hold him and he sank to the floor, trembling. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. The figure of Yami Bakura laughed maniacally. "No... no, you promised..." Ryou pleaded.  
  
RYOU!!! Pull yourself together! That's not me!  
  
Ryou could not hear the voice trying to calm him. He was near hysterics, trying desperately to block out what he was seeing, what he was hearing. He shut his eyes tight and covered his head with his hands. "No..." he repeated. "Not again... Not again!"  
  
From inside his soul room, the real Yami Bakura could not understand what was going on. Something that looked just like him seemed to be on the verge of attacking Ryou, and what it said, how it acted, was hauntingly familiar. But when he tried to assume control so he could do something about, he found he couldn't. Ryou had all his defenses up, blocking everything out, including him. Yami Bakura could penetrate the defenses, but it would take a lot out of both of them. Luckily, he didn't have to.  
  
"Harry! Go take care of him! I'll distract the boggart!" Sirius yelled.  
  
Harry rushed to Ryou's side and Sirius threw himself between them and the boggart. "Riddikulus!" Sirius hollered, pointing his wand at the boggart. There was a flash of light and smoke as Sirius worked to herd the boggart back into the cabinet. The darkness that surrounded them disappeared.  
  
"Bakura! Bakura, calm down," Harry said, kneeling besides the shaking Ryou. "Whatever that was, it was an illusion! It wasn't real. It's was a boggart! It changes into whatever scares you most." Ryou still wasn't listening. He whimpered slightly taking raspy breaths. "Look! It's gone!" Harry tried again. He placed a hand on Ryou's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. Ryou jumped at the sudden touch, finally looking up. His eyes darted about. There was no one in the room but Harry, the professor, and himself. "Bakura," Harry began again, "It was just an illusion. It's called a boggart; it changes into what scares you as a defense. That's all. Relax."  
  
"It was... not real..." Ryou said between breaths.  
  
"Right..." Harry said, patting him on the back.  
  
Ryou closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sighed. "I'm fine now, thanks... Just...just scared me is all. Sorry."  
  
"No need to apologize," the professor said as he walked behind his desk and reached inside a drawer. He pulled out a large bar of chocolate and walked over to where Harry was crouching beside Ryou. "That's what the boggart does. It's perfectly natural to react to it the way you did. No shame in it. Here." He broke off a large piece of the chocolate and offered it to Ryou. Ryou shook his head and waved away the candy. He didn't feel like he could eat anything. "I insist," Sirius said. "It will make you feel better."  
  
Ryou took the chocolate, but didn't eat it. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I knocked. I thought I heard you tell me to come in."  
  
"A mistake is all. It happens. What did you need?"  
  
Ryou motioned to the forgotten flask on the floor besides him. "Professor Snape told me to bring that up to you. I had to come here for class anyway."  
  
Sirius nodded. "Thank you. I was waiting for that. Why don't you walk to the bathroom down the hall and wash your face? And eat that chocolate, too. Harry, would you take him?"  
  
"Sure, Si-, I mean, Professor." Harry stood and helped Ryou to his feet.  
  
"You're one of the new students, right?" Sirius asked. "One of the late ones?" Ryou nodded. "Snape should have known better than to send you to make a delivery," Sirius muttered. "It will be okay if you are a few minutes late for class."  
  
"Thank you, Professor."  
  
Harry led Ryou to the boys' bathroom where Ryou preceded to wash with cold water. He remained silent, lost in his own thoughts. The silence made Harry uncomfortable. "It's no big deal," Harry said, trying to ease his own discomfort as well as Ryou's. "I fainted the first time I met up with a boggart, and I knew what it was going to do."  
  
"It's not really that..." said Ryou. He gazed at his reflection in the mirror above the sink.  
  
"Is it what it turned into?" asked Harry. Ryou hesitated. "Who was it? Brother? Cousin?"  
  
"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."  
  
Harry frowned. "Alright."  
  
"And please don't tell anyone else either. It's... personal."  
  
Harry sighed, but nodded. "Fine then. Everyone has their secrets."  
  
"Thanks. I appreciate it. Really. I'm fine now. If you just give me a minute, I'll go back to class. You can go."  
  
"Well...if you think you're alright."  
  
"Just need to collect my thoughts."  
  
"Okay... I'll tell the professor you'll be along."  
  
Harry left and the door closed behind him. Ryou stared at his reflection again. You've been awful quiet, he thought. There was no answer. What's wrong? I know you're awake.  
  
I didn't realize you were still that scared of me...  
  
It took a few moments for Ryou to process what he'd just heard. It wasn't you. Not really.  
  
It said some of the same things I've said to you. It looked just like me. And you were told that...that thing turns into whatever scares you. I see no other explanation.  
  
That's not it at all! Ryou said. It's how you used to be. That was the worst time of my life. I couldn't trust you at all. My friends were in danger. You scared me! It's true! You did! But that was then. You can't say that I'm not justified in being scared of ever having to face that again. But things are different now. You're different.  
  
But you're still afraid that it will happen again.  
  
Nothing is predictable. I've come to the realization that anything can happen. Plus, I've never been an optimist, so I can easily think of the worst possible thing that can happen. And you going back to the way you were is the worst thing I can imagine.  
  
You believed it was me. You thought that thing was really me.  
  
I wasn't exactly expecting to be confronted by that when I walked through the door. It took me by surprise. How was I supposed to react? It appeared to summon the shadow realm and everything. How would you have reacted? Please don't get defensive.  
  
... You better get to class.  
  
You alright?  
  
Yes, now go.  
  
Ryou felt somewhat better, though it wouldn't be easy having Harry and the Professor believing him to be afraid of a twin or something. If Hogwarts had a counselor, he was sure one of them would be making an appointment for him before the end of the week. He stuffed the piece of chocolate he had almost forgotten about into his mouth. It filled him with a sort of warmness. He could hear students filing past the bathroom door on their way to class. He thought he had better do the same.  
  
Meanwhile, in his soul room, Yami Bakura sat, deep in though. Every time he thought he and Ryou were at an understanding, something like this happened. He shook his head. Why did it bother him so? He wouldn't say he was ashamed of the way he used to be, but he wasn't proud of it, either. Gods, he hated having to think this much.  
  
He sighed. How would he have reacted? What would he have seen? He couldn't think of anything that really scared him. Except... Well, he was sure he wouldn't have reacted the same way Ryou would have. He was sure he would have known it was an illusion. Ryou was always the more gullible of the two, so Yami Bakura supposed he could be understanding. It was easier to just put the whole thing aside than have to worry about it, anyway.  
  
...................................  
  
Defense against the Dark Arts was more of a review class the first day for all except Yugi and Ryou. Ryou was eager to get his mind off of other things and quickly absorbed himself with everything Professor White had to say. He and Yugi wrote down note after note, for in their experience, refresher classes were always followed by a pop quiz. But, lucky for them, they escaped class without one. Ryou was glad to have the class over. Professor White kept giving him an odd glance every once in a while.  
  
Classes were over for the day, and there was not any homework yet. This meant they had the afternoon and evening free. Or, more specifically, this meant their Yami's would be free. It was only fair, after all. Yugi and Ryou went to their room to put away their books. Ryou had decided not to tell Yugi about what had happened earlier, as it would only add to his friend's worries, and he didn't think anything would come of it anyway. When they returned to the common room, there was a noticeable change in their personalities.  
  
"Got your deck?" Yami asked Yami Bakura.  
  
"Not now."  
  
"What do you mean 'not now'?! You can't turn down a challenge!"  
  
"I just did. Go bug the mortals. I'm going for a walk."  
  
"Coward..."  
  
Yami Bakura ignored him and left the common room. Yami, with nothing better to do, wandered over to where Harry and Ron were talking and Hermione was busy scribbling on a piece of parchment. How she managed to find some work when they weren't even given any was a mystery to all of them.  
  
"Up for chess, Harry?" Ron said in a bored manner.  
  
"Naw. I don't feel like getting my butt kicked this afternoon."  
  
"I'll play!" Yami offered, trying not to sound to enthusiastic, but failing.  
  
"Alright," Ron said. "A new challenger. Borrow Harry's pieces and set 'em up!"  
  
.....................................  
  
Three-thousand, seven hundred words... Are you people happy? Is that long enough? Gods, I hope so. So, so, so much writing... -_-* Anyways, that was a lot of work so R&R! 


	16. Alliances

Questions first!  
  
1. Are the Yamis able to separate from their hosts in this fic? In this fic, I'm sticking with the way the series handles it. The Yamis cannot physically separate from their host. They can only appear in spirit form before their host (in other words, the host can see them, but no one else can, like how Yugi and Yami always do), or they can be separate in the shadow realm, since spirits seem to be stronger there.  
  
2. Did Ryou die after Battle City? SPOILER!!! No, he didn't die. And neither did Yami Bakura. Yami Bakura seems to have major involvement (as opposed to merely slinking around in the background) in the next story arc, which is the ancient Egypt storyline. But, as usual, poor Ryou is once more shoved aside to make room for his yami. *sigh* Ryou has so much potential as a character. When are they gonna stop just using him as a medium for the damned grave robber? He could be so much more. They don't even let him tag along with Yugi's gang anymore. Such a waste.  
  
The SFAPP is weird. If this means nothing to you, just ignore it.  
  
...................................  
  
Chapter 16: Alliances  
  
Harry was happy to loan Yami his chess pieces for what he was sure would just be another opponent on the chopping block for Ron. "You any good, Yugi?" Harry asked as he handed over his pieces.  
  
"I'd say I have a few skills when it comes to strategy games, yes," Yami answered confidently.  
  
"Ron is the Hogwarts champion in chess, you know."  
  
"Really? Well that makes things more interesting doesn't it?" Yami smirked. He could have answered that he had beaten champions before. Heck, he'd beaten creators at their own game. But it would have ruined his fun if they knew all that. It was so much better to take to opponent by surprise.  
  
It'd been a couple years since Yugi had really played chess, but he still remembered all the rules, and so Yami did as well. Yami himself had only played chess twice, once against Honda, and once against Ryou, winning both times. He'd wanted to play against Kaiba, who was again, a champion, but the opportunity never arose.  
  
Yami was taken by surprise himself as the game began. He hadn't expected having to verbally direct his pieces. But once he understood what he had to do, he was a natural. He had a strange knack for commanding an army. And the game got even more interesting when they got to the first kill of the game.  
  
Ron drew first blood, taking out a pawn with his knight. Yami watched as the knight "rode" up to his pawn, walloped it one good, and dragged it off the board.  
  
"They actually kill each other?!" he exclaimed.  
  
"That's wizard's chess," Ron said confidently. "Your move."  
  
'Oh, I can definitely get into this!' Yami thought. 'It's practically a shadow game!'  
  
And thus preceded the most heated game of chess Hogwarts had ever seen. It wasn't long before Hermione put down her books to watch. As Gryffindors passed through the common room, a crowd gathered around. Normally, chess didn't gather that much attention, but it had never been this intense before. Both Ron and Yami had unwavering focus, neither willing to accept defeat. Each had their moves planed out several turns in advance. It was a close match.  
  
Yami did not want it to end in a stalemate. He was in it to win. And he knew that wasn't going to happen if he didn't make some sacrifices. He'd analyzed Ron's style. Ron went for devastating the opponent's forces rather than going for a quick kill. Yami could relate. But while Ron paid attention to destroying pieces, his focus was away from protecting his king. Yami had a plan, but a single bishop was in the way. So he offered up something Ron could not resist, his queen. But when Ron took it, thinking Yami had made a mistake (for he didn't know better), he clenched the match. Yami moved the now unguarded rook into place, and that, along with his other rook and a couple of well-placed pawns sealed Ron's fate.  
  
Ron could hardly believe he had been defeated by someone playing their first game of wizard chess. He didn't like having lost in front of so many of his fellow Gryffindors, but he was a good loser. He shook Yami's hand and conceded the match.  
  
"Good match. I guess I've lost my touch. Need to practice more." Ron laughed. "Been playing against easy people like Harry too long." Harry responded with a snicker and a friendly shove.  
  
Yami felt as if there was something missing from this victory. There were no agonizing or frustrated screams of defeat. No threats. Not even an "I'll get you next time!" He sighed. He supposed he'd just played so many serious games that he'd almost forgotten what it was like to just play for fun. He shrugged it off and smiled back at Ron. "I look forward to playing against you again."  
  
"Is that a challenge?" Ron grinned.  
  
...................................  
  
Yami Bakura lay on the sloping bank of the lake, facing the water with his head resting on his hands. It was a warm day and he had discarded the heavy black robes and remained in just the under shirt and his slacks. He watched the many tentacles of the giant squid lift lazily out of the water. It was peaceful and serene. He liked it.  
  
He was just about to doze off when a shadow fell over him. He looked up but did not move from his resting position. "What is it, Malik?"  
  
The blonde said nothing. Instead he sat down besides Yami Bakura with his legs stretched out in front of him. He, too, had abandoned his robes for cooler clothes, only he had left them in his dorm. His gold glinted in the setting sun.  
  
Yami Bakura closed his eyes. "If you're not here for a reason, go find another place to sit and do nothing. This is my spot."  
  
"Why'd you get involved today?" Malik asked.  
  
Yami Bakura opened one eye. "You didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun, did you?"  
  
"I can handle Malfoy on my own. I don't need your help."  
  
"Who ever said I was helping you? What makes you think I didn't just feel like raising a little Hell?"  
  
"Well, I don't know if you realize you're on that guy's list now. You're in it for the long haul."  
  
"I'm not afraid of him," Yami Bakura said.  
  
"That may be true, but he doesn't know the difference between you and the other Bakura."  
  
Yami Bakura opened his eyes. "I didn't think about that."  
  
"Why does that not surprise me?" Malik muttered. "Now he has to deal with Malfoy, too."  
  
"I can handle Malfoy for the both of us."  
  
"If by 'handle' you mean send to the shadow realm, that won't work. You're at a boarding school, remember? They'll notice if students go missing. And since your little talk with Dumbledore, I'm sure you'll be high on his suspects list. You can't reveal you're a schizoid without some drawbacks."  
  
"I 'possess' Ryou. Two souls, one body. You're the schizoid." Yami Bakura said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Speaking of which, you didn't tell Dumbledore anything about me, did you?" Malik asked.  
  
"Nothing incriminating," Yami Bakura replied. "He figured out on his own that you have a millennium item, but he didn't ask what it does. He'll find out eventually though if you keep using the rod to solve every dispute."  
  
Malik laughed. "That Malfoy kid is convinced that I've been using some kind of curse on him. Some kind of wizard spell. He doesn't get what's really going on. What else does Dumbledore know?"  
  
"He asked if you had another spirit living in you, too. Yugi told him no. Technically, that wasn't a lie."  
  
"Technically," Malik agreed.  
  
They sat there and watched the approaching night as the sun set behind them. Stars began to dot the horizon and the giant squid appeared to settle down for the evening. It would be time for supper soon. Yami Bakura sighed and stood. "Better get going." He offered Malik a hand. Malik took it and lifted himself off the ground.  
  
"By the way," Malik began, trying to think of a way to phrase what he wanted to say without sounding soft. "Not that I needed your help, but thanks for today anyway. I rather enjoyed seeing Malfoy chased around by a midget dragon."  
  
"Don't mention it. I got your back. Someone has to, what with all the trouble you get yourself into," Yami Bakura snickered. Malik sighed, but smiled back. But, of course, the peace could not last.  
  
"Hurry up, Crabbe! Supper's starting!"  
  
"Race you there, Goyle!"  
  
Yami Bakura and Malik didn't know what hit them. It felt like a train ran into them, but in actuality, it was Malfoy's goons running past, or rather, through them. Malik fell backward and was lucky enough to land in the soft grass behind him. Yami Bakura wasn't as fortunate. He tumbled down past the grass, over the muddy bank, and into the shallow lake water below with a splash and a lot of cursing. A familiar obnoxious laugh answered Yami Bakura's swears.  
  
"You really must forgive my associates. They get so excitable at mealtimes. I do hope they didn't scare you girls. They must not have seen you," Malfoy snickered, walking past them. "They'll be serving dinner in the Great Hall in a few minutes. You may want to clean up a bit, though." Malfoy laughed again, particularly at the drenched and muddy Yami Bakura below. But Malfoy foolishly did not see the dangerous look spreading across Yami Bakura's face. Few have faced that expression and lived to tell the tale. Yami Bakura's eyes were narrowed, his mouth locked in a sneer, and his fists clenched so tight he almost drew blood. He hadn't even made a move to get up yet. Malik saw that look and knew what it meant. Yami Bakura wasn't about to send Malfoy to the shadow realm; he was about to kill him. Under normal conditions, Malik would have allowed him to do so, but he didn't know what sort of criminal system these wizards had yet. He had to do something to break the tension. So at the right moment, he stuck his foot out.  
  
Malfoy tripped over the outstretched leg and fell forward, face-planting into a muddy spot on the bank. He coughed and sputtered due to the mud that went into his mouth. He spit furiously, trying to get it out.  
  
"Sorry. Guess I didn't see you..." Malik chuckled. He cast a quick glance at Yami Bakura. The grave robber still looked angry, but he didn't look like he was going to kill anyone anymore. Malik stood and hovered over Malfoy. "You may want to clean up a bit," he added.  
  
Malfoy fumed and stood up in a rush, mud dripping down his face. "If you think you have any chance of winning this, you're wrong!" Malfoy hollered. "One word from my father and-"  
  
"I'm not scared of you or your father," Malik said, all humor leaving his voice. He got right in Malfoy's face. "You're a sniveling little child and it's high time someone put you in your place. You can't hide behind your goons and your father forever. Sooner or later, you'll be on your own. And you won't last five minutes."  
  
"Who are you to tell me that?!" Malfoy yelled back. "You don't know who you're messing with. You're in the wizard world now. You know nothing! Either of you!" Malfoy said, now addressing both Malik and Yami Bakura. "You're just another of Dumbledore's charity cases, like that big oaf of a grounds keeper. You don't have what it takes to survive in this world! You're going to get snuffed out with the rest of those not fit for the Magical world!"  
  
"And who's going to do this? You?" Malik taunted sarcastically.  
  
"You'll find out eventually. In the meantime, I'm warning you. Next time, I'm not fooling with these low-brow pranks. Next time, I'm using my wand." With that, Malfoy stomped off towards the castle.  
  
Malik watched him go for a minute, and then slid carefully down the bank and offered a helping hand to Yami Bakura. Yami Bakura cocked a questioning eyebrow at him. "You got my back, I got yours," Malik responded. Yami Bakura took Malik's hand and pulled himself out of the water. Yami Bakura wrung what water he could out of his clothes and hair as he the climbed the bank.  
  
"I think I might like this tag-team effort," Malik observed as they made their way back to the castle. "Makes things a lot easier."  
  
"Yeah," Yami Bakura agreed. "But I'd feel a lot better if I had finished him off then and there."  
  
"No you wouldn't. There are far better ways to get revenge with less risk involved."  
  
"I guess that's true," Yami Bakura mumbled. "But if he lays one hand on Ryou, I'll show no mercy."  
  
"I think you underestimate your host," Malik grinned. "If Bakura can put up with you twenty-four/seven, I think he can deal with Malfoy. Besides, I'll be there for him as backup. You can't play big brother all the time."  
  
"Yes I can," Yami Bakura argued.  
  
The two split up upon reaching the castle. Malik headed to his own dorm room to put his robes back on and to flush the toilets while Malfoy was showering off. Yami Bakura went to the Gryffindor room where Yami and Ron were on their fourth game of chess. The majority of the spectators had gone off to the Great Hall, but Harry and Hermione were still there and the soaking-wet Yami Bakura did not go unnoticed by them. Yami and Ron, on the other hand, were oblivious.  
  
"What happened to you?" Harry asked.  
  
"Went swimming in the lake," Yami Bakura replied dully.  
  
"Oh, you shouldn't do that," Hermione said. "It's awfully cold and dirty this time of year."  
  
"Tell me about it," Yami Bakura muttered.  
  
Hermione was about to say something, but Harry stopped her. "Hermione. Sarcasm, remember?"  
  
"Oh! Right."  
  
Yami Bakura went upstairs, rinsed off, and changed. He was still in a bad mood when he came down, but by that time, the final game of chess was over. Yami remained undefeated.  
  
"You're in an unusually bad mood," Yami observed quietly to Yami Bakura as they all prepared to head to supper.  
  
"Bad day," Yami Bakura replied simply.  
  
As they left, Harry couldn't help but notice something about the way Bakura looked. In the experience with the boggart earlier, he'd thought the boggart had taken on Bakura's exact form. But now he saw something he didn't before, and as he recalled the earlier experience, he saw a connection. The form the boggart had taken had looked like Bakura, only...darker, and with more attitude. It had been the same way Bakura had appeared during the incident with the dragon. And it was the same way he looked now. There was just something about the way his hair seemed to spike up now. And the fierceness in his gaze. He no longer seemed so innocent and good-natured and it sent chills down Harry's spine. He noticed it in Yugi too, now that he looked. The spiky haired boy seemed to have lost his child- like appearance. And there was an obvious change in his height. There was definitely something more to these transfer students than simply being late- starters. And Harry wanted to know what it was. But Dumbledore wouldn't have let them into school if they were a threat, would he?  
  
They reached the Great Hall shortly after the food appeared and found themselves seats. Malik walked in shortly after them and confidently took a seat...at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Um," Hermione began, "Didn't I tell you that-"  
  
"I'll take my chances. I'd rather avoid the company of those Slytherins if at all possible," Malik said, helping himself to a bowl of soup. "That is, if you don't mind," he added after, but judging from the way he seemed to be settling in, the Gryffindors doubted if he would move even if they did mind.  
  
Yami Bakura bypassed the soups and the salads and went straight for a thick cut of meat. He paused, dissatisfaction in his expression and he examined what there was to choose from. Yami (who himself had a salad) wasn't sure if he should dare ask. Yami Bakura met Yami's gaze and knew the question before it was asked.  
  
"This meat is far too over-cooked," he mumbled.  
  
"What do you mean?" Ron said. "It's medium at the most."  
  
"Medium is over-cooked as far as I'm concerned. I like my steak rare. I want it to practically moo when I poke it with a fork..." Disgust of varying degrees passed over the faces of those that heard him, with Malik appearing to be the most disgusted.  
  
"Quit making a scene. As often as you eat, you shouldn't complain. Take what you can get," Yami whispered, leaning in.  
  
"If anything, that's a reason I should complain," Yami Bakura replied, not bothering to keep his voice low. "Where are those elves or whatever it was you said made the food?"  
  
"Right below us, but-" Hermione said, but she was cut off.  
  
Yami Bakura stomped loudly and seemed to yell at the floor. "Hey down there! Send up a steak! Rare! And when I say rare, I mean rare!"  
  
"But it doesn't work that way..." Hermione began. She stopped however, when a steak appeared on Yami Bakura's plate, flame kissed, and that was all. Yami Bakura grinned broadly.  
  
"Humph," Ron said, impressed. "Apparently, it does work that way." He stomped twice. "Hey, can I get some cherry pie up here?" Nothing happened. "Please?"  
  
"Ha, ha, ha!" Yami Bakura laughed. "You just don't have that tone of voice."  
  
"Then why don't you ask for me?" Ron retorted.  
  
"Because I don't want any cherry pie," Yami Bakura replied smartly.  
  
"It's probably not just a matter of ask and you shall receive, Ron," said Hermione. "They had steaks on hand, so I guess they could specially prepare one of those. Cherry pie, however, would take a bit more." Ron pouted.  
  
Yami Bakura happily dug into his steak. Malik was thoroughly grossed out. "How can you eat that?!" he mumbled.  
  
"Like this," Yami Bakura answered, cutting off a particularly large piece and tearing into it so that Malik got a good look. Malik gagged.  
  
"I hope you get E. Coli or something..." he muttered. "Or a tapeworm." Yami Bakura laughed and continued to eat his bloody steak.  
  
"Next time, you'll sit at your own table..."  
  
"You'd think that, wouldn't you?"  
  
Yami sighed. He was wondering if Malik and Yami Bakura being on friendly terms was a good thing or a bad thing.  
  
Later, everyone returned to their dorms. Malik decided he would sleep with the millennium rod under his pillow instead of under his bed, just incase. Meanwhile, Yugi and Ryou were allowed control back. Once more, Harry observed the change, but said nothing.  
  
The rest of the evening went by fairly quiet. Ryou read his textbook for Divination, which was the first class they would be having in the morning. Harry and Ron could not for the life of them understand why anyone would willingly read about Divination. Ryou seemed to have an unusual interest in it. Yugi was reading as well, but he was reading a book borrowed from Hermione on magical creatures. He was amazed see just how many fairy-tale monsters and beasts actually existed.  
  
After about an hour, Ryou put his book down with a groan. When he was asked what was wrong, he replied that he had a stomachache.  
  
"It's probably that raw steak you had for dinner," Harry said.  
  
"Wha-what?" Ryou mumbled so low only Yugi heard him.  
  
"Yeah," said Ron said. "Big, bloody slab of beef. Almost made me sick just watching. Maybe you should let the house elves cook it a bit more next time."  
  
Ryou went very pale, even for him. Yugi stood quickly, grabbing Ryou by the arm and leading him to the bathroom. "Weren't you paying attention?" he asked in a hushed whisper.  
  
"Oh, how was I supposed to know? I was asleep," Ryou moaned, louder than he should have. Harry and crew heard him clearly before Yugi closed the bathroom door behind them.  
  
"That was...strange..." Hermione said.  
  
"Yeah..." Harry said. "Did you guys notice anything else weird about them, tonight especially?"  
  
"Yes, now that you mention it," Hermione said thoughtfully. "Bakura was acting a little strange after classes. And I hadn't realized Yugi was that competitive. He really showed no mercy against Ron."  
  
"What about the way they looked?" asked Harry.  
  
"Well, they seemed the have more serious expressions..." Ron said.  
  
"No, it's more than that," Harry said.  
  
"I didn't notice anything else."  
  
"What do you mean you didn't notice anything else? Yugi was like a foot taller. And there was something weird with their hair, too."  
  
"There was?" Hermione said. Harry gave a frustrated groan. "Maybe because we weren't looking for it?" Hermione offered.  
  
"I guess that could be it," Harry said. "But really, a foot in height? You had to notice that." Ron and Hermione shrugged.  
  
Yugi and Ryou emerged from the bathroom, Ryou still reeling from his indigestion. Yugi led him upstairs and straight to bed, bidding goodnight to Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the latter two staring after them as they went upstairs.  
  
"I still don't see anything, Harry," Ron said.  
  
"Not NOW you don't," Harry replied, rolling his eyes and sighing heavily.  
  
...................................  
  
Another three-thousand, seven hundred word chapter. I am spoiling you people. I'll never be able to go back to twenty-three hundred word chapters again. *sigh*  
  
R&R! 


	17. The Future

Responses:  
  
I'm not using the theory that the millennium item magic keeps the physical differences of the Yamis and Hikaris hidden. Otherwise I would have some plot hole. I don't know where that theory comes from. And "Does whatever it is that makes the Sennen Items kill people they aren't supposed to belong to work on wizards and witches also?" Hmmm... I don't know. Malik wasn't meant to have the millennium rod, Seto was. But maybe Malik is meant to have another millennium item, like, say, the eye, and that's why the rod didn't hurt him. I guess if you have some connection to millennium item magic, you're safe. So I guess if a wizard tried to use a millennium item, they would probably regret it.  
  
...................................  
  
Chapter 17: The Future  
  
Ryou's night was an unpleasant one. He had to make a mental note to explain to his Yami that their stomach was not made of iron and there are some things that it just can't handle. But Ryou had to wait for a time that he didn't feel like killing his Yami. Yami Bakura must have picked up on these negative feelings, for halfway through the night he offered to take over the body so Ryou could at least get some mental rest. He made it clear though that he was only offering to do this so he wouldn't have to hear Ryou complain later, not out of guilt. Ryou accepted. He didn't have to worry about making Yami Bakura promise not to eat anything. His body sent that message for him. Yami Bakura was better at taking pain than Ryou was, so he had an easier time.  
  
Yami Bakura returned to the confines of his soul room when he heard the other boys in the room waking up. Ryou regained control of his body and found it in much better condition than he'd left it. Whatever problem the rare steak had caused was gone, but he'd eat a light breakfast, just in case.  
  
The fifth year Gryffindor boys' dorm slowly stirred to life as the students fought the sleep that threatened to claim them again. It didn't help that most of them were not looking forward to the day's classes. Eventually, everyone dressed and made their way to breakfast.  
  
Once again, Malik planted himself at the Gryffindor table next to Ryou and Yugi and opposite Harry and company. Yugi scribbled on a piece of parchment as he ate. When asked, he said he was writing a letter home. "I'll have Nightshade deliver it for me. I want to hear how everybody's school year started out. Wish I could tell them where I really was, though. They only know that I transferred to a boarding school, 'because it was a great opportunity.'"  
  
"I told them that I would be traveling with Father," Ryou commented. "I said I was going to have a private tutor."  
  
"That's a good one." Malik said, impressed. Ryou looked a little embarrassed.  
  
"Well, it wasn't really MY excuse," Ryou admitted, poking at his cereal a bit. Yugi and Malik understood what Ryou was getting at. Ryou wasn't a good liar. His Yami, however, was an old pro.  
  
"It's hard not to be able to tell your muggle friends where you are," Hermione sympathized. "But it's a strict rule. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore already explained that to you." Yugi, Malik, and Ryou nodded.  
  
"I'll have to send a letter with yours," said Ryou. "I can't very well just sign yours since we're not supposed to be at the same place. You think your grandfather would deliver it for me?"  
  
"I'm sure Grampa would do it," Yugi assured. "Here." He offered Ryou a blank piece of parchment and a spare quill. He offered it to Malik, too, but Malik shook his head.  
  
"Why would I write to your friends? Never have before."  
  
"Well..." Yugi began, scratching his head absentmindedly. "You could write to Isis and Rishid."  
  
"Already have. They made me promise to send them word after I got settled in. Professor Snape told me how to use the school owls."  
  
"SNAPE did?" Harry said in shock.  
  
"Yeah," Malik replied dully. "He seems to like me."  
  
"Of, course he does, you're a Slytherin," Ron said. "That guy shows more favoritism than anyone else I've ever seen. Course his opinion of you might change if he sees you hanging around with Gryffindors. He hates us."  
  
"Oh, well..." Malik said with his usual lack of enthusiasm.  
  
Ryou cocked an eyebrow in thought as he examined the materials Yugi was still offering him. "It'll seem strange enough if just you send them a letter written on PARCHMENT," Ryou said with emphasis. "What if we BOTH do?"  
  
"We don't have any regular paper..." Yugi said helplessly. He looked toward Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who could only shrug. They only had parchment, too. Ryou sighed.  
  
"Oh, well... We can think up an excuse later if it comes up." Ryou took the parchment and quill and happened to glance at Yugi's letter. "Your grandfather reads English, Yugi?"  
  
"Not more than a dozen words or so. Why?"  
  
"Well, you're writing in English." Yugi glanced down at his paper in disbelief.  
  
"Huh... I am..." Yugi mumbled in confusion. He concentrated and tried to write in Japanese, only to find that he couldn't. Not even his name. "What's going on here?"  
  
Hermione thought hard. "Yugi, were you always able to speak both Japanese and English?"  
  
"Bakura could, but not me. They did a... language charm, I believe, is what they called it."  
  
Hermione snapped her fingers. "That's it! The language charm replaces the last language you spoke with the one you want to speak. It can't just make you learn a new language. I read about it in 'Modern Magical Marvels.'"  
  
"Found that out the hard way last night," Malik said with a bit of a laugh. "I tired to curse Malfoy out in Arabic, and I was a bit surprised when he understood every word I said."  
  
"So I can't understand any Japanese now?" Yugi asked turning again to Hermione.  
  
"Just a few things, like, say, Japanese food. Sushi is still sushi, no matter the language. The spell isn't going to make you say 'raw fish' or something like that," Hermione explained. "Proper places and names work the same way, or so the book said. The spell is new, so it may still have some kinks in it."  
  
It was starting to make sense to Yugi now. That explained why he still could call his other self "Yami" instead of "Dark" or something. It was more like a name. But that still left him with a problem. "So how do I write the letter?"  
  
"Maybe I could write it for you," Ryou offered helpfully. But then his expression fell. "But they might recognize it as my handwriting, if not right away, then when they see my letter." Yugi frowned. Now how was he going to manage this?  
  
"I'll do it," Malik said, snatching Yugi's letter. Yugi gave him a questioning glance. "I can't use Arabic now, but I can still use Japanese. Plus, they'd never recognize my handwriting. I'll get it back to you by tomorrow. That'll give Bakura some time to work on his letter, too."  
  
Yugi was still somewhat unsure, but he smiled broadly anyway. "Thanks, Malik! That's nice of you."  
  
"Don't get mushy or I'll change my mind," Malik threatened.  
  
When breakfast was almost over, the Weasly twin made their appearance, complete with their green and blue hair. "What kept you?" Ron asked suspiciously. "You weren't sneaking those color bombs of yours into the water jugs or something, were you?"  
  
"Nope! But that's a great idea," Fred grinned. "Actually, McGonagall wanted to talk to us. Since Madame Hooch has so many first years to keep her busy, McGonagall wanted us to give these newbies their first flying lessons this afternoon."  
  
Ryou sputtered on his orange juice. "Fly-flying lesson?" he repeated.  
  
"Yep." George said, pouring himself a glass of orange juice. "You can use our old brooms to practice. We had a little extra cash...from the joke business," he quickly added because no one was supposed to know that Harry had given them his winning from the Triwizard tournament last year, "so when we found out we were appointed Quidditch captains we bought new brooms. Nimbuses, both of them. But the old brooms are still good. Perfect for beginners. Well, gotta go! Herbology next. Harry, you guys just take 'em out to the Quidditch field after classes, Ok?" The twins didn't wait for a response. They simply headed out.  
  
Yugi was thrilled. Even Malik couldn't hide the hint of excitement in his eyes. The prospect of flying was indeed something to look forward to. Ryou alone seemed concerned. "What is it?" Malik asked.  
  
"Hm?" Ryou mumbled softly.  
  
"You look worried," Malik said. "It can't be that dangerous or else they wouldn't teach it to people just starting out."  
  
"It's not so much that," Ryou replied, his eyes downcast.  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"I have a bad feeling..."  
  
"That steak still haunting you?" Ron said. "Maybe you should go see the nurse."  
  
Malik snickered. "I told him not to eat that thing," he said gesturing at Ryou.  
  
Ryou shook his head. "It's not that kind of bad feeling. It's kind of a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach." He suddenly noticed that everybody was staring at him. "It's nothing," he said quickly. "Guess I'm just stressing too much. It happens." The gazes left him, but the awkwardness hung in the air. Ryou didn't like making everyone else feel uncomfortable, so he put aside his worries and cheerfully addressed them. "Shouldn't we be getting to class?" he said, plastering on his most comforting smile.  
  
"Yeah..." Harry agreed. "Divination's all the way upstairs. We'd better get going."  
  
"I guess I'll see you guys later," Hermione said, waving.  
  
"Me, too," said Malik. "Gotta go to Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
With that, Harry, Ron, Ryou, and Yugi set off towards the North Tower  
  
....................................  
  
Harry and Ron were the first to climb up the silver ladder that led to the circular trapdoor that was the entrance to the Professor Trelawney's class. They beckoned for Yugi and Ryou to follow as they headed up.  
  
"We'll be right there," Yugi said. Harry and Ron shrugged and continued on. Ryou gave Yugi a curious look.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Um... hypothetically, of course... Do you think it would be cheating to use a millennium item for classes?"  
  
"You didn't..." Ryou muttered. Yugi blushed sheepishly and reached in his pocket. He pulled his hand out and revealed the millennium tauk.  
  
"Dumbledore didn't say it would be," Yugi said innocently.  
  
"He also doesn't know we have more than one item," Ryou said. His narrowed eyes made Yugi feel instantly guilty.  
  
"Awww... But I don't have a sixth sense. I have to have something to work with. This IS a fortune-telling class. They never specified HOW you go about doing it." Ryou's expression told Yugi that there was no winning this. He had to try a different approach. "You trying to tell me that you don't have the millennium eye on hand?"  
  
It was Ryou's turn to look guilty. Blush flooded his cheeks. "I only have it because HE won't let me just leave it in the dorm," he replied defensively. "I had no intention of using it. Not that I could, anyway..."  
  
"Well, I don't really know how to use the millennium tauk, either," Yugi said. "I just thought, you know, incase..."  
  
Ryou rolled his eyes and began up the ladder. "Put it away and come on," he called. Yugi reluctantly stuffed the precious item back into his pocket and followed.  
  
As usual, the Divination classroom was sweltering and thick with incense. Yugi swooned as soon as he entered. The atmosphere of the room went straight to his head. The chintz chairs and poufs that usually cluttered the floor were gone, replaced with many small, circular tables with two simple chairs apiece. Yugi and Ryou took a seat at one of the tables and Harry and Ron at another.  
  
Professor Trelawney made her usual showy entrance. He large glasses and colorful robes reminded Yugi of a butterfly, though not nearly as pleasant or graceful. Nor quiet for that matter. Professor Trelawney wore a lot of beads and bangles that clattered together with every move she made. "Good morning," she addressed the class. "I see all of you have made it with the exception of one. But he will be joining us shortly." The students looked around to see who was missing. Neville, of course. He emerged from the trapdoor entrance a minute latter, huffing and puffing as if he had run the whole way to the classroom, which he probably had.  
  
"Sorry I'm late," he apologized.  
  
"I expected it, dear," Trelawney said. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, admirers of the Divination professor, looked on with wide eyes as if they'd never seen anything more amazing. Yugi and Ryou weren't quite sure what to make of it yet.  
  
Harry leaned over to them. "Predicting that Neville's going to be late is like predicting the sun is going to rise," he said. "It's not a guarantee, but it's a strong possibility." Yugi and Ryou nodded. They got the idea that this teacher was all smoke and mirrors.  
  
"My dears, it is time for us to unlock the mysteries of the Tarot," Professor Trelawney said, dripping with all the mysticism she could muster. "For centuries, cards have been used to foresee the future. They've been used in England since the Renaissance. The gypsies brought them all over Europe. The origins of the Tarot can be traced back to both the orient and Ancient Egypt." Yugi and Ryou each cocked an eyebrow in interest. The statement had also caught the attention of their Yamis, both of whom were listening from their soul rooms. Did this woman have actual knowledge about the shadow games of the past? There was only one way to find out.  
  
"Do you know how foretelling fate with cards began?" Yugi asked innocently. Trelawney looked down at him in surprise and seemed at a loss as to what to say. "I... Of course, I do, dear. But that is not the subject of today's lesson. Please don't interrupt. This is your first Divination class, so it is important that you listen and pay attention to the task at hand."  
  
"That means she doesn't have the slightest clue," Ron whispered as soon as Trelawney turned her back to him. Yugi and Ryou couldn't help but giggle a bit even though Trelawney proved to have no useful information. It was just funny how the professor worked so hard to make it seem like she knew all.  
  
Professor Trelawney completed her opening speech with all except her most devoted not really listening. She then instructed them all to take out their textbooks and study up on the meaning of the cards.  
  
"Aren't we gonna lay out the cards or something?" Ron asked.  
  
"Nonsense!" Trelawney said with a shake of her finger. "You must first memorize the meanings. Then you must learn to interpret them and combine them.  
  
"But I already know how to do that..." Ryou muttered sadly. He'd been looking forward to learning something new. Yugi looked at him sympathetically.  
  
"You can help me," he offered. "I don't know any of this stuff. Besides, you'll be ahead of the class. That's a good thing, right?"  
  
Ryou sighed. "I suppose so. It IS the only useful thing my Yami's taught me..."  
  
I heard that... Came the voice at the back of Ryou's mind. I tried to teach you fine dining, but nooooo... Ryou smiled.  
  
And thus, the class began working. Studying and memorizing was hardly a thrill, and the heavily perfumed air didn't make it any easier. But they were managing.  
  
"Hey Harry, I think I've found your suit," Ron said.  
  
"What is it?" Harry asked cautiously.  
  
"The swords! Look, they have almost nothing but bad meanings. Failure, deception, Anxiety... This card even has a guy with TEN swords stuck in his back. TEN! I bet you'll get a bunch of these when we actually start dealing."  
  
"Probably," Harry said half-heartedly. Figures. Trelawney couldn't use the one Death card against him, but she could use the fourteen swords.  
  
Trelawney walked about the room observing the students. She stopped when she got to Ryou and Yugi's table. "And why aren't you studying the cards?" she said to Ryou.  
  
"Um, I know them already, Professor," he answered softly. The way she stared down at him with those bug eyes reminded him of a praying mantis.  
  
"And their combinations? Reversed interpretations? Do you know that?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"And I suppose you know the spreads as well," she said. Ryou still wasn't sure if she was scolding him or complimenting him.  
  
"I know some."  
  
Trelawney suddenly smiled. "Ah! Finally, a new student with the making of a true seer," she beamed. "It is so rare to find a beginner who possess the proper knowledge." Parvati and Lavender gazed around their teacher with interest. Their stares made Ryou even more uncomfortable than Trelawney's.  
  
"Would you give us a demonstration of your skills?" Professor Trelawney asked.  
  
"Yes, please do!" Parvati and Lavender echoed. Ryou blushed. He didn't really want an audience. Unfortunately, every student in the classroom was circling around him, eager for something to get them away from their own studies.  
  
"You really know how to do this, Bakura?" Ron asked. Ryou gulped and nodded, a little less sure of himself than he had been before.  
  
"Hush!" Trelawney glared at Ron. "You mustn't distract him. He must be able to focus." Ryou's face reddened further as he reluctantly reached in his bag and pulled out his Tarot deck. It was wrapped in black silk (of his own doing) and he gently undid it.  
  
"Just a general reading, then?" he asked, his voice shaky and barely above a whisper. Trelawney nodded. Ryou was so nervous he was having difficulty swallowing. His mouth felt dry and that feeling in the pit of his stomach was returning. He began shuffling. His hands were shaking but he was determined not to drop the cards. All those piercing stares were getting to him, though. He hated being on the spot.  
  
Everyone watched as Ryou placed the deck on the table and cut it three times with his left hand. He then placed seven cards facedown in a circular pattern on the table. "This is... an unusual spread," Professor Trelawney observed. Ryou couldn't think of a way to reply so he said nothing. In the center of his formation he placed two cards face down, one crossing the other.  
  
Sweat began to bead on Ryou's brow. There was no way he was going to be able to focus. He was going to be made a fool of in front of the whole class. And this feeling he had...he felt like he didn't want to see what those cards were going to reveal. But he couldn't back down now. He only saw one way out of this.  
  
Yami, help!  
  
You sure? Yami Bakura asked in a bit of a mocking tone of voice. Wouldn't that be cheating?  
  
You can give me the guilt trip later. Now, please?! I-I can't do it. I'm getting an ominous feeling from the cards... I can't concentrate like this!  
  
Very well...  
  
Ryou closed his eyes and took a deep breath. To the untrained eye, he simply appeared to be calming himself before he started. But Yugi saw the truth. 'Why's he letting Yami Bakura read the cards?' he wondered. Yami couldn't help but wonder the same thing.  
  
Let me take control. I want to see how this turns out.  
  
Well... alright...  
  
Harry saw the transformation from Yugi to Yami out of the corner of his eye. His mind was still trying to tell him that he was just seeing thing. He looked around to see if anyone else had noticed. No one had...except Bakura. When he saw Bakura's now stern gaze hesitating on Yugi he knew. It wasn't just him.  
  
Yami Bakura didn't concern himself with Yami's appearance too long. Ryou had been right... these cards did generate a feeling of dread. Even he was hesitant to reveal them. But he bit his lip and began the reading.  
  
"The seven exterior cards represent the general future; they show us what to expect." He turned over the top card and bit his lip harder. "The Tower. This card represents a sudden catastrophic change, usually in a negative sense. Something's going to happen that will have a drastic affect on the future." He flipped the next card.  
  
"Here, the six of cups represents someone or something from the past. This card usually means a happy reunion, but it's upside down..." Yami Bakura let it hang at that and continued.  
  
"The Devil card stands for the evil in the world. Greed, Materialism, a desire for destruction. This...this is likely brought on by the thing from the past as represented by the six of cups."  
  
Several students were wide eyed. Whispers were heard of "You-Know-Who." Yami closely examined the look on Yami Bakura's face. He couldn't quite place the expression. Harry and Ron were getting nervous, while Professor Trelawney looked like she had just won the lottery. "Continue, my dear..."  
  
Yami Bakura ignored the "my dear" comment and flipped the next card. "The two of cups represents a partnership, usually a positive one, but again, it's upside down. The seven of swords represents deception. Someone avoiding a direct confrontation and instead relying on deceit and the manipulation of others. This is likely caused by the said partnership which involves the thing from the past..." Yami Bakura really didn't like the whole feel of this. He didn't want to continue, but what choice did he have at this point? If he quit now, Ryou would never let him hear the end of it.  
  
"The Lovers card stands for a serious emotional decision in this case, rather than a romantic relationship as implied by its name. A big choice will have to be made. Probably one with few options. The sense created by the other cards also gives me the impression that the options that are available are not happy ones..."  
  
"The last card of the circle... The Hanged Man. This has a double meaning here. The Hanged Man often means waiting. Probably related to the said decision. But often in these cases, waiting is the worst thing that can be done." He took a deep breath. "This card also stands for a sacrifice. No matter the outcome, there will be a great price. The aforementioned decision shall be waited on due to hesitation over the costs."  
  
Yami Bakura stared at the two center cards. He'd come this far, he had to finish it. But this was certainly taking a lot out of him. He was frighteningly pale and this did not go unnoticed by Yami. Yami didn't read the cards himself, so he didn't really understand why both the Bakuras were reacting this way.  
  
Yami Bakura reached over and rested a trembling hand over the crossed cards. "The-these represent the root of future. That which is most directly responsible for what the other cards show." Everyone leaned in for a better look. Yami Bakura breathed deeply and tasted blood. He'd bitten his lip too hard. He exhaled and quickly flipped the cards... and the bell rang, signaling the end of class.  
  
Yami Bakura scooped up the cards before anyone but him had gotten a good look at what was revealed. He tossed the cards into his bag without bothering to wrap them in the silk. He stood to leave. Professor Trelawney protested.  
  
"What did you see?! You must tell us what was revealed! You cannot stop in the middle of a reading!"  
  
"Can't stay, I gotta go!" Yami Bakura answered, throwing his bag on his back and making a break for the exit. He threw open the trapdoor and slid down the ladder. Yami darted after him while most of the rest of the class was still in shock.  
  
"What was that about?" Ron wondered aloud as he and the other students slowly packed up, most of them still somewhat disturbed by the haunting atmosphere created by the reading. Professor Trelawney looked as if someone had canceled Christmas.  
  
Yami caught up to Yami Bakura in a deserted hallway. "What was that about?!" he asked at a loss for patience. "Why'd you just up and leave?"  
  
"Nothing for you to worry your spiky head about, Pharaoh..." Yami Bakura muttered. Yami grabbed Yami Bakura by the shoulder and roughly turned him around, forcing the grave robber to face him. Yami Bakura was still very pale. A small trickle of blood ran down his chin from where his lip was cut. Yami's anger softened but he remained forceful.  
  
"I saw your face, I know it isn't 'nothing,'" Yami said firmly. "If there's danger, I want to know about it."  
  
"Do you, Pharaoh?" Yami Bakura said. There was no insult in his voice. No mocking or threat. Just seriousness. "Do you really want to know?" Yami nodded and released Yami Bakura's shoulder. "The last two cards were the King of Wands crossed by The Moon."  
  
"And?" Yami asked impatiently.  
  
"The Moon affects the person represented by the King of Wands. It stands for confusion and a loss of control. And that affected person is most directly responsible for all the other disasters represented by the cards. Get it yet?" Yami remained silent. "Perhaps it would help you to know that the suit "Wands" has another name."  
  
"What name?"  
  
Yami Bakura's harsh gaze met Yami's. "Rods."  
  
"Malik..."  
  
................................  
  
Before you ask, yes, I know how to read the cards and these interpretations were done in my own style, but they would still be accurate. And you got an extra six hundred words this chapter (don't count on that always, I'm only gonna do that for big chapters), so be happy and R&R! 


	18. Premonitions and Potions

Well, it seems you guys are having a lot of fun making your own interpretations... Good! That's what I was aiming for! Everyone has a different idea about what I'm going to do, and some of you are close. But you shall have to wait to find out just how close. ~_^  
  
Responses:  
  
God cards? Truth be told, I don't really know if the God cards are usable without a duel system or the shadow realm, and I haven't put much thought into because I didn't plan on using them in the story. Duel Monsters is actually my least favorite part of the series, so I tend to avoid it if I can. I only include the card game when the story calls for it, and if this story does, the God cards will likely be left out for a reason I will make up later. -_-  
  
Upside-down cards? Okay, not everyone got this. The cards in an upside-down position are read with an opposite meaning. Such as the happy reunion. There will still be a meeting, just not necessarily a happy one. That's the way it works. Just how opposite the meaning is depends on the reader.  
  
Where'd I learn? Well, I researched the meanings of the cards and spreads in books and online. But as for interpretations and combinations, I am largely self-taught. Something like this isn't supposed to be just learning how other people do it. You have to develop your own style.  
  
Chapter 18: Premonitions and Potions  
  
...................................  
  
"Are you sure?" Yami asked. "Are you completely positive?"  
  
"It's fortune-telling, Pharaoh, not an exact science," Yami Bakura answered in a condescending tone. All this was more problems he just didn't need. He seemed to notice the blood trickling down from his bit lip for the first time and hastily wiped it away with the back of his hand before continuing. "You and I both know that it's not out of the question. But Malik is not the only possible outcome."  
  
"Well, what else could it be?"  
  
"You remember that dark wizard everybody talks about? The one who killed the mortal boy's parents?"  
  
"The name escapes me, but yes, I do," Yami answered.  
  
"Well, Ryou's read a bit about the guy, and I think this could just as easily be him." Yami Bakura said. "Tarot reading can be very imprecise. Wizards use wands, so the King of Wands could have stood for him instead. He's from these people's past. They're already worried that he's coming back. But..."  
  
"But what?" Yami asked, growing impatient again. He liked facts, and all this speculation was aggravating him to no end. Couldn't Yami Bakura just tell him what was going on so he could do something about it?  
  
"I automatically read the cards to mean Malik, even though the simpler reading would have been that dark wizard."  
  
"So which is it?! Quit making observations and just tell me something I can work with!" Yami demanded.  
  
"Don't shout your orders at me! We're not in Egypt anymore. You being pharaoh means nothing here. This is not the sort of thing where I can just give a straight answer. It's more complicated than that. You have to look at it from every angle, take everything into consideration... Just think of it as one of your intricate strategies."  
  
Yami sighed heavily and was not happy. "Fine. Get on with it if you must."  
  
Yami Bakura ignored Yami's attitude and began pacing. "Alright... Ryou and I both got a sense from those cards. A strong feeling of dread. Ryou couldn't even flip the cards, though he told himself that it was because he was too nervous. Ryou doesn't have as much experience as I do, but he's more sensitive, so I trust his feeling."  
  
"Please elaborate on this 'feeling'." Yami said. "I am not a seer and never claimed to be, so I don't know."  
  
"It's a premonition. A feeling or idea about something you have no way of knowing about. I suppose the closest thing you've experienced would be the effects of the millennium tauk. Only this isn't just something you see a vision of. It affects all your senses in ways that simply cannot be explained. You can only understand it once you've experienced it. You can't understand it, and frankly, I didn't expect you to."  
  
Yami did not appreciate this superior attitude Yami Bakura was getting and his expression showed it even if his words did not. "So we should just warn Malik, even if it isn't him your 'prediction' showed." Yami Bakura shook his head. "Well, why not?" asked Yami impatiently.  
  
"We can't act on it, at least not directly, or we may inadvertently trigger the domino effect that starts this whole mess," Yami Bakura said, growing tired of having to explain everything. "Fortunes, especially bad ones, have a habit of making themselves come to pass. You know how Malik is; he's twice as likely to get into trouble if he expects it. If he gets paranoid, he'll be on edge and then it won't take much to send him careening off the deep end."  
  
"And if it's the other guy?"  
  
"If it's the other guy, then it's the wizards' problem. We've got enough problems without adding theirs to ours."  
  
"So you'll just leave."  
  
"You have a better idea?"  
  
"But you're not going to leave if it turns out to be Malik's other personality? Or even Malik himself?"  
  
Yami Bakura hesitated before answering, contemplating how to phrase what he wanted to say. "I said to both Ryou and Malik that I would watch his back. I try to keep my word."  
  
"You know, I don't get you sometimes," Yami said, shaking his head. "You're a thief, why on earth would you care about keeping your word?"  
  
"There is such thing as an honorable thief, you know."  
  
Yami scoffed. "Indeed." He couldn't believe Yami Bakura considered himself to be 'honorable.' But he let the subject drop. "So what can we do about all this? Anything we can do to prevent it?"  
  
"All we can do is be observant. If you and I keep an eye on Malik, that may be enough. I still think he will be the root of all this. We just need to let him know that he has allies. Heh...It's funny almost. That's what Ryou's wanted me to do from the start. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe his sense IS stronger than mine. Perhaps that nervous feeling he's been getting is more than just stress or anxiety. He did get it right before he dealt. His sixth sense may be developing from him being exposed to all this new magic."  
  
"That's all well and good, but it doesn't change the fact that your fortune isn't helpful in the least." Yami Bakura angrily narrowed his eyes at Yami's criticism, but Yami ignored it. "You've basically just told me that there is about to be Hell on Earth, but there's nothing we can do about it but keep our eyes open."  
  
"Fortunes aren't meant to tell us what to do," Yami Bakura defended. "They only serve as a way to prepare us for what's to come."  
  
"Well I'm not even sure I believe all this," Yami said leaning almost casually against the castle wall. "Is it entirely inconceivable that you're wrong? That you're blowing the whole thing out of proportion? And even if worse comes to worse, why does it suddenly bother you? Used to be you'd be thrilled at the prospect of so much possible death and destruction. You'd welcome chaos with open arms. Even if everything in your reading is true, what if it isn't Malik or the dark wizard? What's to say it isn't you?"  
  
Yami was taken by surprise at the speed at which Yami Bakura moved. In the blink of an eye, Yami Bakura grabbed Yami by the front of his robes and pulled him close so that their faces were barely an inch apart. There was a fire in the thief's eyes and anger in his voice as he spoke. "Don't try to turn all this on me..." he said dangerously. "And do not use my past against me. I don't judge you by the way you used to be, extend me the same courtesy. Why it bothers me now is none of your damn business. Believe what you want, I don't care. But if this fortune does come to pass, don't say there was no warning. Because if what Ryou and I felt from those cards is accurate, the Battle City finals will be NOTHING in comparison to this. And I have a hunch that your dueling skills will not save you this time..." Yami Bakura roughly released Yami, turned, and walked away with his robes flaring out behind him almost as if in an expression of his anger. He did not look back.  
  
Yami stared after him resentfully. I think you may have hit a sensitive spot, Yami... came Yugi's meek and cautious voice. Yami didn't answer. Instead, he fumed silently. Yugi tried again, attempting to sound like he wasn't taking sides. Maybe he feels bad for the way he used to be... like you do.  
  
Thieves do not feel regret... Yami answered simply. Or shame.  
  
Well...maybe he just wants to put it behind him. He doesn't want his past mistakes coming back to haunt him.  
  
You're defending him...  
  
Yugi hesitated. Yes. I suppose I am. I just feel that everyone deserves another chance. He seems to be trying real hard. And if Bakura of all people can trust him now...  
  
I suppose you're right...of course that means I'm wrong. Yami felt Yugi smile.  
  
It happens to the best of us, Yami.  
  
Yami sighed and smiled back. Ready to take over?  
  
You bet! The millennium puzzle glowed brightly for a moment as the switch was made. Yugi blinked at his surroundings, realizing suddenly that he didn't recognize this hallway in the least.  
  
Yami? Did you happen to pay attention to how you got to this hallway?  
  
Um...No. I just followed the Grave Robber.  
  
Yami! Now I'm lost!  
  
Yugi took off in the direction Yami Bakura had just taken. "BAKURA!!! Wait up!"  
  
..................................  
  
Yugi didn't catch up to Yami Bakura, but he did happen across the History of Magic classroom and was able to find his way back to the Great Hall that way. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Malik were already there, as was the Weasly twins. But not Ryou or his Yami. When Yugi was questioned about where the other boy was, he could only answer that he went off on his own. Yugi figured Yami Bakura must have went off to blow off some steam.  
  
Harry and Ron had been telling Hermione and Malik about Divination. Luckily, they didn't know everything the reading had revealed. "It was just weird that he took off without finishing the reading," Ron said. "Trelawney was really eating it up."  
  
"Bakura has a habit of taking things like that too seriously," Malik said, dismissing Ron's observation with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about it. It's just one of his things."  
  
"But that Tarot reading was really creepy," Ron said.  
  
"Showmanship. Nothing else," Malik answered. "You wanted him to show you what he can do, and he obliged."  
  
"Besides," Hermione added, "it IS Divination. You really can't take any of that seriously."  
  
I knew it... Yugi heard Yami say. Yugi reminded the spirit that it was a matter of opinion.  
  
The meal was interrupted when Ryou, now in full control of his body again, managed his way into the Great Hall. Yugi had never seen Ryou looking more aggravated or harassed in the entire time he'd known him. Yugi soon saw the reason why.  
  
"Ryoooou... come sit with us over there! I want to introduce you to the rest of the girls," Parvati exclaimed, tugging on the poor boy's arm.  
  
"No! He should sit at a quieter section of the table. Those girls will cloud his inner eye!" Lavender argued, pulling Ryou in the opposite direction. He looked desperately towards Yugi and company for help. Harry, Ron, and Hermione failed to fight the urge to laugh. The "please shoot me" look on Ryou's face as the two girls fought over him like he was a rag doll was just priceless.  
  
Malik cocked a questioning eyebrow. "What's with them?" he asked.  
  
"Divination fangirls," Hermione answered with a giggle. "He must have been really impressive." Malik stared for a moment as his brain processed all this, then he, too, burst out laughing. Even Yugi couldn't fight the giggles. Ryou, seeing that his friends were not going to be of any help, managed to break free on his own and stalk towards his usual seat beside Yugi and Malik, Parvati and Lavender close behind. He hoped that Yugi and Malik would get the hint to scoot closer so the girls wouldn't have room, but they didn't and Parvati and Lavender sat on either side of him.  
  
"You people are useless," Ryou sulked as the girls made themselves comfortable.  
  
"Why, whatever do you mean?" Malik teased. He'd actually moved over to make room for Lavender. Ryou sighed heavily, looked up at the magically visible heavens on the ceiling of the Great Hall, and shook his head as if to say "why me?"  
  
"Ryou, did I tell you just how wonderful you were in class today?" Lavender cooed.  
  
"Only about eight times," Ryou muttered.  
  
"Well, you were," Parvati said. "I think you're the first guy ever to really understand Divination at this school, Ryou."  
  
"Lucky me..." said Ryou helplessly. "How'd you find out my first name, anyway?"  
  
"The Professor told us," Parvati beamed.  
  
"It is a lovely name. You should use it more often instead of having everyone call you by your last name. That's so impersonal. I mean 'Ryou'... it just rolls off the tongue."  
  
"You're pronouncing it wrong..." Ryou said.  
  
"Really? That's the way the Professor said it..." Lavender said, a finger resting on the side of her face in thought.  
  
"I know how to say my own name," Ryou said flatly. The girls only giggled in response. Ryou looked longingly at the pitcher of pumpkin juice and wondered if it would be enough to drown himself with. Luckily, the girls remembered that they needed to go fetch their potions supplies and left before Ryou could consider his death by pumpkin juice too seriously. Ryou felt the eyes of the others on him once the girls were gone and he gave them all a look, especially Malik. "Don't. Laugh..."  
  
Of course that only set them off on another fit of giggles. "Our little Ryou's become quite the lady's man," Malik snickered, making sure to mispronounce Ryou's name the same way the girls had. "How on earth did you get into that mess?"  
  
"They found me wandering in the halls and latched on to me. I tried nicely to make them leave me alone, but they just said I was being modest."  
  
"They must have been really annoying you," Malik teased further. "I mean, you were almost rude." Ryou gave Malik a look of aggravation which only succeeded in making the blonde grin wider.  
  
"There were two of them I noticed," Malik said, taking a sip of his juice. "I hope you remember to share." Ryou responded by throwing a grape at his companion, who only laughed louder as he dodged it easily.  
  
"If being good at Divination is all it takes to get girls, I'll have to see if Dumbledore will let me change my schedule," Fred said.  
  
George nodded his agreement. "Yeah, the girls don't go for the Quidditch players anymore."  
  
"Not since Wood left," Fred commented.  
  
"You guys ever think that girls have an interest in more that just what you're good at?" Hermione asked sarcastically.  
  
Fred and George paused as if in thought. "Naw..."  
  
Ron laughed with his brothers. "You know Bakura, if you had stuck around, Trelawney probably would have given you some house points."  
  
"House points?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Just a competition among the houses. You get points for good things, and lose 'em for bad. Most houses don't really care about winning. They just want to win for the sake of stopping another house from winning."  
  
"Oh."  
  
With Parvati and Lavender out of his hair, Ryou's mind couldn't help but wander back to the Tarot reading. He watched Malik out the corner of his eye. Yugi did the same. The Egyptian laughed and talked and joked with the rest of them. He seemed happy. He wouldn't be a danger if he was happy, right? Yami Malik was made of sorrow and rage. If Malik didn't feel those things, then there was nothing to worry about from him. But there was still a threat even if it turned out that it wasn't him. Gods, this was confusing. The outlook seemed hopeless no matter what. But things were so good now. Ryou couldn't help but start to doubt himself. But there was always that voice in the back of his mind, the one that didn't belong to the disgruntled spirit of a tomb robber, that kept reminding him of "the calm before the storm..."  
  
The bell rang, signaling that it was time to start moving to the next class. They were all going to the same place: Potions. Harry, Ron, and Hermione led the way to the classroom down in the dungeons.  
  
As usual, the Potions classroom was a depressing place. Malik was eerily reminded of the underground chambers where he spent much of his youth and shivered. Not a happy memory. Parvati and Lavender stood on one side of the room with a few other girls, staring at Ryou and giggling. Phrases like "Don't you just adore his hair?" and "His voice, oh my God, what a sweet voice!" were heard from them. Ryou shifted uncomfortably towards Yugi and Malik, ready to claim either one of them if they were told to separate into groups.  
  
Professor Snape entered, in an especially bad mood as he usually was at the start of the term. It didn't help that the third year class he'd just had had melted four cauldrons. "Pair up!" he shouted. Once more, Harry went with Ron, Hermione with Yugi, and Malik with Ryou.  
  
Parvati and Lavender positioned themselves right behind Ryou. Ryou was almost sure he'd heard one of them say, "You know, his friend's not that bad either if he'd lose the earrings..." Great. Ryou could see himself getting suckered into a double date in the near future. He saw more trouble on the horizon as Malfoy and Goyle set their cauldron down beside him and Malik. He didn't need cards to tell him that this wasn't going to be good.  
  
All the time, Snape hovered over the students like a vulture. He stopped at Yugi and Hermione. "Be sure that Miss Granger informs you that I tolerate no mischief in my class," Snape warned. "I will not be lenient with you simply because you are a beginner." Yugi nodded to show that he understood. Snape moved on to Ryou and Malik. Snape looked down at Ryou as if he were something that he had scraped off his shoe. Apparently, the Knockturn alley incident was still fresh in his. Snape had heard that there had been some thieving going on that afternoon, and he had a sneaking suspicion that this boy was to blame. But he had no evidence, and thus couldn't make any accusations. But that wasn't going to stop him from making Ryou's life as miserable as possible.  
  
"You know, Mr. Ishtal, you should avoid associating with troublemakers. Your grade may suffer," Snape said venomously. Ryou looked hurt.  
  
Malik put on his most serious expression and placed an arm over Ryou's shoulder. Ryou eyed him suspiciously. "Professor, I know he may have done some mischief in the past, but I was hoping that if I befriended him, if I showed him the proper way, that he would benefit from my example and be led down the correct path..."  
  
Both Yugi and Malfoy's mouth dropped, but their shock did not compare to Ryou's, who could only look at Malik as if the blonde had lost his mind. Yami Bakura snickered slightly from his soul room. It was a comical idea, especially because the teacher seemed to be buying it. It was hard to think of Malik as a real threat when he had that absurd false look of concern on his face.  
  
"I just wanted to take it upon myself to aide this troubled young man," Malik said with a sad shake of his head and a sigh. "I feel it is my duty as a student here and as a Slytherin, even if my friend here is not of our house." Ryou felt his face go hot as blush flooded it. He wanted to find a hole to crawl into and hide. But Professor Snape nodded, impressed.  
  
"How considerate of you to want to help your fellow student despite how undeserving he may be," the professor said. Ryou moaned silently and tried to make himself appear as small as possible.  
  
Why aren't you trying to defend me here? Ryou asked his Yami. Shouldn't you be trying to send them to the shadow realm at this point?  
  
No. I think this is all very entertaining, personally.  
  
Useless yami... Ryou muttered. Yami Bakura only laughed.  
  
After he was done torturing Ryou, Snape instructed them all to begin work on a stain-removing potion, which he considered to be very simple. Things were starting off okay. Yugi was doing well with Hermione helping him. She also offered her help to Ryou and Malik whenever Snape wasn't looking as neither of them had any experience and Snape was not interested in offering his own aide. But everyone was managing.  
  
"I can't believe you said all that," Ryou scolded Malik once Snape had wandered far enough away. "You made me out to be a demon and you the savior."  
  
"Relax, Bakura," Malik assured. "Snape loves me. I'm like his favorite student. Provided we don't screw up, some of that will rub off on you." Ryou didn't look convinced. "Or you could partner with one of your girlfriends over there next time," Malik said, gesturing over his shoulder to the girls behind them. Ryou blushed, shook his head, and resumed stirring his potion.  
  
But with Malfoy around and his ego freshly bruised from having Malik as competition for teachers pet, the peace cannot last. Discreetly, he pulled a small vile from his potion supplies and waited for an opportunity, a smirk plastered to his face. The chance Malfoy was waiting for presented itself when Snape began yelling at Neville for spilling his frog bile all over. With everyone's attention elsewhere, Malfoy slipped the contents of the vile into Malik and Ryou's potion. 'Heh, two birds with one stone,' Malfoy thought. Revenge against both Malik and Bakura.  
  
Neville didn't serve as a distraction for long and soon everyone returned to their work. Neither Malik nor Bakura noticed anything wrong with their potion or the suspicious way Malfoy moved so that he was as far away from them as he could get without attracting attention. Ryou resumed preparing the ingredients, feeling almost as if he were in his kitchen back home. Malik stirred the contents of their cauldron. Ryou handed Malik the next ingredient: powdered Belladonna. Malik slowly poured the powder and then...  
  
BOOM!!!  
  
Malik and Ryou's potion exploded violently and both boys were thrown roughly backwards onto the dungeon floor. Yugi and Hermione gasped and Harry and Ron looked on wide-eyed. "Oh, my God! Are you two okay?!" Lavender exclaimed,  
  
Snape rushed to the scene. "What the heck happened here!!!" he bellowed, almost as loud as the explosion itself. Malik and Ryou slowly got up, rubbing the backs of their heads.  
  
"I-I just put the Belladonna in and it blew!" Malik explained.  
  
"Belladonna does not react that way with the other ingredients in this potion..." Snape said angrily. "Only an opposite reactant can make it do that. You!" he pointed down at Ryou. The boy looked terrified. "Did you put any ingredient other that what is on the list in there?" Ryou shook his head. "Let me see your potion ingredients," Snape demanded. Ryou nervously fetched what he was asked for. Snape looked disappointed as he examined it. "They only item you should have to cause that explosion is the pollen from the fairy's tear flower. It has a violent reaction to Belladonna."  
  
"Professor," Malfoy piped up, pretending to examine his potion supplies. "My fairy's tear pollen is missing..." Snape walked over to Malfoy to see for himself.  
  
"So it is..." Snape said, the gears in his head turning. "Would there have been an opportunity for someone to take it from your supplies?" Malik's mouth dropped. Snape was automatically assuming that Malfoy had nothing to do with it when Malik knew otherwise.  
  
"I suppose someone could have taken it when I looked to see what was going with Neville, sir. Bakura WAS right there..."  
  
"Bakura wouldn't do that!" Yugi argued.  
  
"Quiet!" Snape ordered. Yugi cringed slightly.  
  
Malik wasn't going to give up that easily. "Sir, with all due respect, Bakura was where I could see him the whole time and even if Bakura would do something like that, there's no way he would he would have known about a reaction." Ryou sighed heavily. When did this school decide to turn against him?  
  
In the end, Snape had to let all of them go due to "lack of evidence." The experienced Gryffindors knew that it was because no matter what Snape would decide was true, he would have to take points from his own house, either from Malfoy for lying about his potion ingredients and probably starting this whole mess, or Malik for saying he knew Bakura was innocent. But Harry was amazed. Snape had not even tried to find a way to blame him for anything.  
  
....................................  
  
And the chapters just get longer and longer... -_-;  
  
If you want an idea about the length of this story, consider this: this is now my longest story at 18 chapters and close to 45,000 words, well past novel-length, and I'm only on their 2ND DAY OF SCHOOL!!! ARG!!! *pulls hair* 


	19. Flying Lessons

Attention Yu-Gi-Oh fanfic writers!!! Chibizoo is organizing a fanfic contest just for you with prizes to be awarded. If you're interested or want more info, please check out her page at for the contest's rule page. For this to be a real contest, we need more talented authors and authoresses to enter, so give it a shot and test your fic-writing skills!  
  
I didn't mean that this story being so long was a bad thing. It's just that it gets somewhat frustrating at times that it's moving so slowly at this point. And it's a lot of work, but anything done right is, so... And I have no intention of following this day-by-day speed that I have been doing. I'll be moving along very soon. I would have felt guilty if I had not covered some of the bigger classes like potions and divination in detail. But I will by no means keep doing that. It would get repetitive after a while.  
  
And sorry for this being late; it was a busy week. I had a lot of tests and the time change affects me in so many negative ways. But I hope this chapter makes up for the lateness. 'Tis looooooong... Almost 5000 words, so be happy. ^_~  
  
Chapter 19: Flying Lessons  
  
...................................  
  
"I can't believe you..." Ryou mumbled.  
  
"Hey! I kept you out of trouble, didn't I?" Malik said defensively.  
  
"I didn't do anything to get into trouble!" Ryou argued. "I've just been dragged into your feud with that Malfoy. I'm innocent in all this!"  
  
"That may be true, but that's not my fault. Blame HIM," Malik said, gesturing to the ring concealed under Ryou's shirt. "I did tell him this would happen." Ryou nervously crossed his arms over his chest and the ring.  
  
"I'm not even going to talk to him now. He's in a bad mood," Ryou said.  
  
"'Bout what went on in your fortune-telling class this morning? What was the big deal, anyway?"  
  
"N-nothing," Ryou stammered trying to smile innocently. "Just dramatics is all. He doesn't need a reason to be in a bad mood anyway."  
  
"Hey! You're lagging behind," they heard Harry call. "Hurry up!"  
  
"Coming!" Ryou and Malik both answered.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were leading Yugi, Ryou, and Malik to the Quidditch field as they had been instructed to do. Harry had his trusty Firebolt broomstick over his shoulder. He was hoping to get some early practice in while they were here. But there was more than Quidditch on Harry's mind.  
  
Now that he knew for sure that something was up, he was unsure of how to handle it. There was something not right about these new guys, especially Yugi and Bakura. Harry really didn't feel like they were a danger. Just...a concern. They seemed to go through extreme personality changes with no warning, not to mention that strange look they sometimes got in their eyes. But what should he do about it? Should he confront them? Naw, that probably wasn't the best idea. Maybe he should go to Dumbledore. The headmaster had always told Harry to inform him if there was something that concerned him. Or what about Sirius? He was here to keep an eye on things. This certainly seemed like something he should know about. And he wouldn't think that Harry was just paranoid. Sirius had witnessed the boggart incident, so he knew something strange was up. And Harry had a feeling that the form the boggart took was a big clue about whatever was really going on.  
  
He'd made up his mind. He'd speak to Sirius about it during their next training session.  
  
Ryou and Malik caught up to the rest. Yugi's eyes were exceptionally wide with anticipation. Flying sounded like so much fun. Malik wouldn't admit it, but he was every bit as excited. He'd always loved speed and feeling the wind in his hair. That's why he loved his motorcycle back home so much. But with flying, he wouldn't be limited to roads. Ryou thought the whole thing seemed dangerous. Nothing to catch them if they fell. No pads or helmets. Not that that would help them if they hit the ground after falling a hundred feet.  
  
Fred and George were waiting for them when they arrived. Several brooms lay on the ground. Two of which were obviously new. The other three looked like antiques. "See you brought your broom, Harry," Fred observed.  
  
"Always prepared," Harry answered. "How's the team looking this year?"  
  
"We're filling up the blank spots," George said with a nod of his head. "We're thinking Dean for keeper. That muggle sport he's always talking about-"  
  
"Soccer?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yeah, that's it," George nodded again. "Well, anyway, seems Dean's got some experience playing a similar position for that. He's real good at guarding, but he needs to work on handling his broom. And for one of the chasers, we got Josie Reinbeck, a third year. She played some muggle sport too and she's a great shot." Harry suspected they were talking about basketball this time, but he said nothing. It wasn't that important.  
  
"So there's still one chaser position open?" Harry asked.  
  
"Yep," Fred said. "You wanna try for it, Ron?"  
  
Ron shook his head violently. "No, thank you! Not with you two as captains. That'd mean I'd have to listen to you."  
  
"You have to listen to us now," Fred corrected with a laugh. "You just don't know it."  
  
"We should probably get started," Hermione interrupted. "Otherwise, they'll be flying in the dark."  
  
"Alright," Fred agreed. He spread the three older brooms out evenly. "These are our old brooms and one borrowed from the Quidditch supplies that's probably older than Dumbledore. Stand next to one, stick your hand out, and say 'Up!' You've got to be firm about it."  
  
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik each did as they were told. Yugi's just jumped a bit and fell short. He tried again, and this time it worked a bit too well. It hit his hand a bit forcefully and stung. Malik's broom didn't seem to want to do anything. He shouted at it a bit and prodded it with the toe of his shoe, but it didn't want to cooperate.  
  
Ryou tried himself while Malik continued to fight with his broom. Ryou had the oldest model broomstick. "Up," he said meekly, almost asking instead of telling.  
  
"No, no," George corrected. "Be firm. Say 'up' and be confident that it will listen to you."  
  
Ryou took a deep breath and tried again, visualizing the broom obeying him. It worked and the old broom floated gently into his hand. Malik cast a dirty look at him and Ryou was tempted to stick his tongue out in response, but that would have been too childish so he simply smiled innocently at the Egyptian.  
  
"Maybe you're being too forceful," Fred offered the frustrated Malik. "It's an old broom and can be temperamental. Be firm, but don't yell at it." Malik tried this different approach and after a few attempts, it worked and the broom jumped into his hand.  
  
"Well, now that that's done, let's take this next part one at a time, hm?" Fred said. "Yugi, you first. Let go of the broom. It should float on its own and you can climb onto it. Straddle the broom and when you're ready, kick off the ground, but not too hard or you'll start off too fast. Harry, be ready to go after him if he needs your help."  
  
Harry nodded and readied his broom. Yugi released his grip as he was told and the broom hovered in place, a bit too high for him to have an easy time climbing on, but he managed. His feet could barely touch the ground, however, so he couldn't really kick off. He was determined, though. He stretched and was able to push off with his toes. He slowly rose higher off the ground and laughed giddily with excitement.  
  
"This is so cool!" he shouted.  
  
"Try to maneuver the broom!" George shouted back. "Just pull it gently in the direction you want to go! Be sure you lean with it or you'll go off balance and fall!"  
  
Yugi did as he was told and slowly lifted his broom higher in the air. He turned to the left, then the right, amazed at the feeling of freedom flying produced.  
  
Malik watched this from behind everyone else. 'Humph,' he thought, 'Yugi makes it look easy.' So of course, Malik wasn't about to wait for his own instruction and he mounted his broomstick and kicked off from the ground. He lifted about ten feet in the air without anyone noticing. Steering the broom seemed easy after his motorcycle. Malik's sense of balance was already well prepared for it. So what else was there to do but show off?  
  
Malik leaned forward and shot past Yugi. "Hey!" Yugi yelled in shock. He narrowed his eyes angrily at Malik. "You trying to kill me!"  
  
"You're seven feet off the ground! I doubt it would kill you!" Malik called back.  
  
"Do you have to hog the spotlight!" yelled Yugi angrily.  
  
"Don't talk to me about hogging the spotlight, King of Games!" Yugi blushed and had no reply.  
  
"Did he just call Yugi 'King of Games?'" Ron asked.  
  
Ryou laughed nervously. "Just a title," he said.  
  
"Really? Not an official title, huh?" Ryou nodded. "Humph. No wonder I lost at chess," Ron said. "How'd he get a title like that?"  
  
"A long story," Ryou said.  
  
"You'll have to tell it to us sometime."  
  
Malik sped around on his broomstick, having the time of his life. Yugi pouted. He tried to mimic Malik's movement, but only succeeded in nearly falling off his broom. He decided not to try that again and slowly floated back to the ground. He sensed Yami fighting a laugh. You're free to give it a try, Yugi said moodily.  
  
No, I think you're handling it okay alone, Yami declined. Yugi frowned again  
  
Ryou watched from the safety of the ground. He had to admit it did look like fun. And it didn't seem too hard. Maybe he'd be able to do it... He didn't have to be great. It's not like he was trying out for the team or anything.  
  
"Looking good, Malik!" George called. "Too bad you're a Slytherin! We might have been able to use you!"  
  
'Believe me. No one regrets me being a Slytherin more than me,' Malik thought with a shake of his head. He began to try to slow the broom so that he'd be able to land... only to find that he couldn't. When he pulled the broom up in an attempt to decrease his speed, he only went higher.  
  
"You're going a bit fast!" Fred yelled. Malik didn't answer him.  
  
"He's too high to hear you!" Hermione said, concern in her voice.  
  
'Maybe I should have waited to hear all the instructions,' Malik thought. From his height, the others looked like insects. His broom still wasn't slowing down. Was there some break he didn't know about? "Little help up here!" He called. No good. He was too high to understand anything they said. He pointed the broom downward to try and get closer to the others but ended up in a dive. A really fast dive.  
  
Malik desperately tried to level out his broom. Seeing that Malik had lost control, Harry mounted his broom and took off after him. Unfortunately, not even his Firebolt was able to move fast enough. Malik succeeded in straightening his flying, but he'd been unable to do that and watch where he was going. The result was him plowing straight into one of the goals.  
  
Malik managed to avoid any serious damage from the impact, but the broom got away from him and he was left holding on for deal life from the fifty- foot high hoop goal. Hermione used a summoning charm to keep the broom from heading into the Forbidden Forest. Harry caught up to Malik and hovered beside him, trying to figure out the best way to get him down, as Malik was in an awkward position. He hung upside down with one leg and both arms wrapped tightly around the hoop and the other leg struggling for a grip. "Any time now, Harry!" Malik said impatiently.  
  
"This wouldn't have happened if you had waited," Harry said matter-of- factly.  
  
"I don't need a lecture, I need to get down!" Malik shouted.  
  
Eventually, everybody got back to the ground safely, but pretty soon, Malik began to wish he was still stuck on the goal.  
  
"And what did we learn?" Yugi taunted.  
  
"Shut up, Yugi..."  
  
"Pride goeth before a fall? Or a crash in this case?" Yugi pushed.  
  
"Shut. Up."  
  
"You had a very nice start," Ryou complimented. "You just couldn't stick the landing. Better luck next time."  
  
"You can shut up, too."  
  
"Hey! I was being nice," Ryou frowned.  
  
"You were patronizing me," Malik said.  
  
"Was not! I was serious."  
  
"Yeah..." Malik replied sarcastically. "Isn't it your turn? Let's see if you can do better."  
  
"Yes, can't wait to see him crash, too," came a voice. An annoyingly familiar voice belonging to none other than Malfoy who strolled casually towards them broomstick in hand and flanked by his two cronies. "Really Ishtal, if you can't even handle that old broom, you're even more pathetic than I thought."  
  
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" Ron said.  
  
"We have a lesson going on here," George said, oddly official-like. "You have to leave."  
  
"On the contrary," Malfoy said. "As captain of the Quidditch team, I have every right to be here to observe any fellow Slytherin's skills on a broom. Professor Snape said so."  
  
"You know very well that you're not seriously scouting me," Malik argued.  
  
"Yes, I know that, but the Professor doesn't," Malfoy said smugly.  
  
"You also know that it was you who caused all that trouble in Potions today," Ron said. "You set Bakura up."  
  
Malfoy looked directly at Ryou, a smirk on his face. "Prove it."  
  
Malik sighed. "Look. I'll leave. Then he'll have no excuse to stay."  
  
"No," Ryou said. "You don't need to leave just because of him. We'll just ignore him."  
  
"What makes you girls think that I'm that easy to ignore?" Malfoy inquired.  
  
"Girls WOULD find you easy to ignore, but I guess we can manage," Malik remarked. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at the comment and Crabbe and Goyle cracked their knuckles as if waiting for the order. "Why don't you save yourself some embarrassment and leave now?" Malik said.  
  
Malfoy scoffed. "I'm not worried about you."  
  
Malik shook his head. "They never learn..."  
  
"You may have Snape fooled but not me," Malfoy said. "You're nothing but talk and childish pranks. I bet you still don't know how to use a wand."  
  
Finally Fred interrupted. "Look, we're losing daylight. You two can finish this later. We can't make Malfoy leave if Snape gave him permission to be here."  
  
"But if you disrupt the flying lesson," George added, pointing a finger at Malfoy, "We will report you for it. This is official business and Professor McGonagall won't be happy if you prevent us from carrying out her instructions."  
  
"Carry on with your little lesson, Weaslys," Malfoy said condescendingly. "I'm just here to watch."  
  
Ron turned to Hermione. "You're a prefect, can't you do anything about him?"  
  
"Afraid not," Hermione answered. "Not if Snape gave him permission."  
  
"Can't you take some points away from Slytherin because of his backtalk?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"I can only do that is he sasses an authority figure, and Quidditch captains don't count, especially since he's one, too."  
  
"What's the use of being a prefect then?" Ron said exasperatedly.  
  
"Come on, Whitey," Fred said. "You're up."  
  
"This ought to be good," Malfoy commented. "Is he going to ride side- straddle?"  
  
"Back off, Malfoy," Malik warned.  
  
"Or what?" Malfoy challenged. "I was just talking to my associates. That's not a crime." Malik glared at him, but said nothing. The rod was in his pocket, but there was too much attention on him to risk using it. His only other strategy was fighting, and if Malfoy held through on his threat to start using his wand, that may not be the best approach. Malik didn't even have his wand on him and even if he did, what was he going to do with it, poke Malfoy to death? Maybe he'd be able to set his robes on fire... It worked on the curtains of the wand shop.  
  
Seeing Malik back down, Malfoy turned his attention back to Ryou who was trying to ignore him but with little success. Ryou had been through bullying worse than even Malfoy would be capable of, but that didn't make him immune to it. Malfoy's words hurt him, but it hurt more that Malik felt he had to defend him. Ryou didn't really want his friends to feel the need to protect him.  
  
I am really getting tired of this kid... Ryou heard his yami mutter.  
  
No! Don't do anything! I can handle it. You just don't worry, Ryou assured.  
  
Have it your way. But I'd be doing the world a favor in probably more ways than one if I locked that idiot in the shadow realm.  
  
I'm not saying I disagree with you, but I don't want to get expelled on my second day, Ryou said.  
  
It would be worth it... Yami Bakura mumbled.  
  
To you maybe, but I-  
  
"Would you answer him already?!"  
  
"Wha-what?" Ryou stammered. The sudden shout brought Ryou out of his thoughts. His friends were giving him concerned looks while Malfoy and company stared at him as if he were stupid. Ryou realized that they must have been speaking to him while he was talking with Yami Bakura. "I'm sorry. What was it you needed?" he said, blushing.  
  
"I was asking if you wanted to use this broom instead of that older one," Yugi said, showing less concern than the other Gryffindors because he knew what had been going on. "I guess I said it too softly for you to hear me," he said, offering an excuse.  
  
"Bull," Malfoy said. "I heard you from over here. And I heard the rest of you who tried to get his attention, too. Face it, he was spaced out. What a head case. You and Ishtal are real candidates for St. Mungo's. Were you talking with the voices in your head, 'Whitey,'" Malfoy said, using the Weasly twins' nickname in a mocking tone.  
  
Ryou's first though was admittedly 'How did he know?' Of course, he soon realized that Malfoy was only making fun of him. Malfoy didn't know it was true. Both Malik and Yugi were about to open their mouths to defend Ryou, but he beat them to it. "Quit trying to improve your own self-image by belittling me," Ryou said, trying to sound firm, but his voice was still wavering. He doubted he sounded too intimidating. He didn't really know how to sound imposing. He figured he probably seemed more like a teacher.  
  
As Ryou could have guessed, Malfoy was not impressed. "That the best you can do?" he said, cocking an eyebrow. "You act tough half the time, then the other half you're like this. Trying to act all nice so Potter's gang will believe you're innocent? Pathetic."  
  
Ryou narrowed his eyes. He hated having is intentions questioned. But he also couldn't help but notice how close Malfoy was getting to guessing the truth, even if it wasn't in seriousness. He wasn't the only one. Yugi had a worried look in his eyes. Malik had noticed but wasn't reacting. He felt sure Malfoy would never figure out what was really going on. Malfoy's observations also caught Harry's attention. He didn't exactly have much respect for Malfoy, quite the opposite actually, but it was more evidence that others were noticing the differences in Bakura and Yugi. Something was up, and he was going to find out what...  
  
"I'm not acting any sort of way," Ryou defended even though his better judgment was to just let the subject drop. "I am not devious, and I am very straight-forward. I don't like to lie or deceive. What you see is what you get. And unlike some people-" but Ryou never got to finish that sentence for while he was talking, he had pointed the broomstick he still held in his hands accusingly at Malfoy... and the fool thing shot out of his hand and hit Malfoy directly in the stomach.  
  
Malfoy "oofed" and doubled over, his goons immediately at his side. That old broom had moved with surprising speed. Ryou was frozen in shock, his hand hanging in midair still positioned as if he were holding the broom. This wasn't going to be good for inter-house relationships, that was for sure. No one moved... until...  
  
"You. Are. Dead..." Malfoy choked out, clutching his stomach.  
  
"I-I'm s-sorry!" Ryou quickly apologized, putting his hands up defensively. "I didn't mean... It-it did it one it's own!"  
  
"Just like the dragon escaped on it's own," Malfoy said dangerously.  
  
Malik suddenly broke the tense atmosphere with a short but loud laugh. "I'd almost forgot about the dragon," he said when everyone had looked at him.  
  
"Not helping!" Ryou said through gritted teeth. Malik didn't serve as a distraction for long. Ryou dodged with a yelp as Malfoy dove for him, not missing by much. What happened next made Ryou suddenly very worried. Malfoy reached in his robes and pulled out his wand.  
  
"Perhaps you didn't hear when I told your friend that I was through playing childish games. Something tells me you don't know how to use a wand either..."  
  
Ryou's eyes went wide. "Don't you dare, Malfoy!" Hermione threatened. "That's not fair!"  
  
"Who cares if it's fair, mudblood?!" Malfoy shot back, standing straight up even though his stomach still hurt quite a bit. "What are you going to do? Report me? Do it and see! I'm sure the professors will want to reconsider your position as prefect when they hear how you stood by and did nothing while your "friends" viciously attacked me and only stepped in when I moved to defend myself."  
  
"That's not true!" Harry shouted.  
  
"This is low, even for you, Malfoy," Fred said harshly.  
  
"Say what you will, but I have two witnesses here that are willing to back me up," Malfoy answered, thumbing at Crabbe and Goyle who grinned stupidly. "It'll be my word against yours, and with my father's influence, well... you understand. Now back to you," Malfoy said, turning back to Ryou who recoiled involuntarily.  
  
Yami... Ryou said internally.  
  
Oh, no. You wanted to be on your own, and I'm giving you what you asked for. You made me spare his miserable soul, and this is your reward, Yami Bakura answered.  
  
Then what do I do?! Ryou asked desperately.  
  
For you, I would strongly suggest running, Yami Bakura said before closing down the mental link. Maybe this would teach Ryou to appreciate his help when it was offered.  
  
Ryou returned to his senses just in time to dodge a blast from Malfoy's wand. What a time for his Yami to suddenly agree to leave him alone. A second blast that almost hit home sent Ryou running for his life. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George all pulled out their wands, but Malfoy had already prepared for that. He succeeded in disarming Harry and Hermione with a spell before either of the Gryffindors had been able to say a word. Crabbe and Goyle served as backup, disarming the Weasly brothers and making sure nobody picked up the dropped wands. Malik and Yugi, not having wands, moved to help their friend. Unfortunately, Crabbe and Goyle, wands ready, blocked their path. Malik reached for his millennium rod, but the goons, thinking he was reaching for a wand, pointed their wands at him and warned him not to move. Malik made a mental note to make Malfoy and his cronies drown themselves in the lake sometime in the near future. Yugi watched helplessly. If he did anything, he wouldn't be able to explain it away afterwards. What could he do, anyway, short of having Yami mind crush Malfoy, which was starting to sound better and better?  
  
Ryou peeked over his shoulder and realized he was completely on his own. This was soooo not good. He knew he wasn't going to be able to run for long and Malfoy was closing in. Ryou heard Malfoy shout an incantation and veered to the right to avoid the spell that followed it. At this rate, Malfoy wasn't even going to need to catch him. One well aimed spell and...Ryou didn't like to think about it.  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!!" Ryou shouted. Now was no time for pride. But Malfoy wasn't in a forgiving mood. He wasn't in the mood for running either. Not when he had his broom...  
  
Ryou looked back and ducked just in the nick of time as Malfoy zoomed overhead on his Nimbus two-thousand-and-one. Now Malfoy had a wand, and a broom, and he knew how to use both. What did Ryou have? An alter-ego who was choosing this moment to be difficult and a stitch in his side from running. This was beyond unfair. He didn't stand a chance on the ground, so he made a mad dash for the brooms, not knowing if they would do him any good. He grabbed the first one he reached, one of the twin's Nimbuses, and kept on running. Gods, he hoped this flying thing was as easy as Malik had made it look before he crashed into the fifty-foot high hoop. No time for second thoughts. Ryou straddled the broom while keeping up his run and he gradually lifted off the ground.  
  
Yugi let a cheer escape him as Ryou rose higher. The more experienced Gryffindors knew the broom wouldn't make that much of a difference in the hands of someone who had never been on one before. And it was a Nimbus at that. Hardly a beginner's broom. But...Ryou was doing fairly well...  
  
Ryou looked back again. The devious grin on Malfoy's face was oddly similar to that of his Yami. Malfoy had been on the losing end of his war against them. Now he was enjoying being ahead. And, as Ryou soon found out, Malfoy could use his wand while flying. Ryou heard the incantation and barrel- rolled to avoid it.  
  
Malfoy wasn't aiming to kill. He hadn't even been trying to hit his target yet. He was toying with him like a cat toys with a mouse. But playtime was over. He was going to knock this cocky upstart out of the sky. Malfoy poured on the speed. His broom was a more advanced model than the one Ryou had. One well-timed vertigo spell and his opponent's sense of balance would be no more. You can't fly a broom if you can't even sit straight. But just as Malfoy was in position, Ryou killed his speed and Malfoy overshot. Malfoy cornered and came back at Ryou. Ryou retaliated by doubling back and flying directly at Malfoy and forcing him to dodge. Malfoy was growing frustrated. This was not the way it was supposed to work. It was as if the other boy sensed his moves before he had even made them.  
  
Ryou was running on pure adrenalin. Ideas for evasive maneuvers came to his mind and he carried them out without even thinking. He was so glad he had paid attention while Yugi had been instructed on flying and had learned from Malik's mistakes. But he couldn't keep this up forever. He needed help. But he saw everyone capable of giving it held at wand point. That wouldn't do.  
  
Ryou leaned forward and dived at Crabbe and Goyle. The goons threw themselves on the ground to avoid him. At that moment, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins dove for their wands and Malik reached for the millennium rod. Malfoy came flying through after Ryou and never knew what hit him. He was informed later that it was about five curses. Malfoy was out before the millennium rod could be of much use curtesy of at least one stunning spell. Crabbe and Goyle were left to take him back to the castle. Harry and company knew Malfoy wouldn't dare report them for cursing him. He'd gone too far. But they also knew it wouldn't do any good to report Malfoy. His father and Snape would make sure of that. It was a stalemate.  
  
Ryou settled back down to the ground, out of breath and more than a little frazzled. I can't BELIEVE you wouldn't help me! he scolded his yami.  
  
I would have if I felt you were in danger, Yami Bakura said, shrugging it off. I sensed he wasn't planning on killing you. Besides, you need to do some things for yourself. Now don't you feel good, knowing that you handled that on your own?  
  
I would disown you if only I knew how...  
  
Everybody rushed to Ryou's side to make sure he was okay. After it was determined that he was indeed okay, the celebrating began.  
  
"Bakura that was great!" Yugi exclaimed. "You were going so fast and all those sharp turns, and you didn't even crash!"  
  
"Yes, I remain original in that aspect," Malik commented  
  
"I can't believe that was your first time on a broom," Ron said.  
  
"It just comes naturally to some," said Harry with a nod. "Well done."  
  
"That should keep Malfoy off your back for a while," Hermione said.  
  
"I have to admit, I haven't had that much excitement in a while," Ryou said.  
  
"Well, I hope you're prepared for more," George said.  
  
"Why...why do you say that?" Ryou asked cautiously.  
  
George grinned. "I think we've found our chaser..."  
  
....................................  
  
R&R! 


	20. Choices

Thanks to all of you that have been reviewing! Over 1000! I never thought this story would have so much popularity. I owe it to all of you!  
  
Thank you for the screen cap Ayod Botla! I found it quite amusing. Be sure to tell DMG that. Anyone interesting in "Yami Bakura's Guide to Fine Dining" should check out   
  
The pronunciation of Ryou's name? I can only tell you the way it sounds to me, which is like Re-yo ("re" as in "restore" and "yo" as in "yo-yo"). I may be hearing it wrong. If anyone knows for sure, please say so in a review or e-mail, and I will post the correction. Ryou's name is one of the odder one's to pronounce. Most people have no problem pronouncing Jounouchi or any of those, but I've heard or read about six different ways people pronounce Ryou. ("Rai-you", "Re-you"...)  
  
It was a little obvious that someone was going to be recruited for Quidditch, wasn't it? But there was no way Malik would be getting on the Slytherin team (not like he would want to) and Yugi was too obvious. So Ryou was my choice. I almost made him a keeper, though. ^^ I have other plans for Malik and Yugi. *cackles evilly*  
  
And where do I get my ideas? Well, there are multiple sources. Some come from reviewers that contribute their ideas, which will be appearing shortly (I haven't forgotten you, Mad Fangirl!). Other ideas appear out of the blue. Some are triggered, such as the whole tarot card thing. That was inspired by a set of Yu-Gi-Oh doujinshi tarot cards I saw for sale on E- bay. They were beautiful, but I lost the auction. I saved the picture though. =P  
  
And blame school if my chapters become late. As the end of school approaches (May 30th! Whoo!) teachers fight to cram in more lessons. I have Easter break coming soon, so I should be able to get some writing done even though the evil school board cut a day off of our break. Really, we lose a mere two weeks because of hurricanes and we pay for it the rest of the year...*grumbles*. I need to start taking these chapters slower so that I don't write myself into a corner, though. Please be understanding when these updates are late. It's that or plot holes, and nobody likes plot holes.  
  
Chapter 20:  
  
..............................  
  
"How do I get myself into these messes," Ryou sadly asked aloud to no one in particular as they headed back to the castle, the other Gryffindors some distance ahead of them.  
  
"You have some strange talent for it," Malik answered. "You're like a magnet for chaos. I almost envy you." Ryou knew Malik was joking, but he cast a dirty look his way anyway.  
  
"There is a infinite number of things that could go wrong if I get involved in this sport," Ryou said with a sigh. "There is a high risk of injury, I could fall behind in classes, I might never get rid of those girls who insist on following me around... And that's if nothing completely unexpected happens!"  
  
"Relax, Bakura," Yugi said. "They really want you on the team."  
  
"That's why I didn't say no yet," Ryou said softly. "I should have. Competition is not my friend."  
  
Malik snickered. "That's for sure."  
  
"But Bakura," Yugi said, "You should be glad that you found something you're good at without even trying. At least give it a try!"  
  
"Harry and the twins are going to talk it over with me after diner tonight," Ryou said. "I'll let them try to convince me before I turn them down."  
  
"Don't be like that," Yugi said. "You might like it."  
  
"But I won't have time to practice! I'll need to study. I came here to learn magic, not play games."  
  
"I understand," Yugi said with a nod. "I keep trying to tell a certain someone that, but he is somewhat set in his ways." Yami "humphed" from his soul room and Yugi smiled smugly. "But how many chances like this are you going get? They want to buy you a new broom and everything! I'm sure the teachers will help you get through it all."  
  
Ryou narrowed his eyes both in thought and worry. "It would make me a well- rounded student if I participated in a sport," he said. "But..." He paused.  
  
Are you waiting for my approval? Yami Bakura questioned.  
  
No, Ryou said, still angry about earlier.  
  
I don't think you should participate, Yami Bakura continued, ignoring Ryou opinion. Malfoy plays this sport too, and you will undoubtedly end up facing him. In the air, Yugi and Malik won't be able to help you, and you don't seem to like the help I offer.  
  
But Harry plays... Ryou answered. And he's experienced in dealing with Malfoy. Ryou didn't understand why he was arguing on behalf of playing. Maybe it was just because his yami didn't want him to. The previous incident did make Ryou less than willing to agree with the spirit about anything.  
  
The choice is yours, Yami Bakura said. But I warn you, I won't prevent you from playing, but I will also not allow anyone to endanger our body. And I will not hold back my shadow magic for these wand-wielding wizards. I'm quickly growing tired of playing fair, especially since Malfoy seems to have abandoned that. Do as you wish. I don't care one way or the other. But be aware of the risks.  
  
"Bakura?" Ryou suddenly became aware of a dark-skinned hand waving in front of his eyes. He blinked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You need to stop doing that. People are going to start getting suspicious," Malik said.  
  
"You need to be more careful about when you talk to the other you. It makes you space out. They're going to start asking questions soon if you're not careful," said Yugi in a concerned tone. "They may already be catching on. You heard Malfoy."  
  
"Oh he was just insulting," Malik said, waving away Yugi's concern. "He didn't know that Bakura was really talking with a voice in his head."  
  
"That may be," Yugi said seriously, "but it's not just Malfoy. I think Harry's on to us. I see him staring at Bakura and me a lot, especially when we've been switching personalities." Ryou suddenly bit his lip and looked down, a motion that did not go unnoticed.  
  
"What is it?" Malik asked.  
  
"Did you tell him anything, Bakura? Or did he tell you something?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"No...but..." Ryou didn't know what to say. He had hoped this wouldn't be brought up again. "Yesterday, when I went to deliver that flask from Professor Snape to Professor White..."  
  
"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Yugi asked cautiously. This couldn't be good news.  
  
"Well, I didn't say anything because I thought nothing would come of it," Ryou began, voice trembling. "But when I entered the classroom yesterday there was this...thing. Some magical creature. I think they called it a boggart. It...it changes into whatever scares the person it sees. It saw me and... It's my fault, I should have made sure they heard me knock."  
  
"Bakura, are you saying what I think you're saying?" Malik asked. Ryou nodded.  
  
"The creature took on the form of my yami at his worst... And both the teacher and Harry saw it. Harry started asking questions and it put Yami into a mood because he was what scared me most." Yugi suddenly realized why Yami Bakura had reacted the way he did when his yami had brought up his past. Ryou continued. "But I thought I had it all sorted out. I talked it out with the other me. And I told Harry that what the boggart turned into was personal, and he seemed to respect that. He promised not to tell anyone. And he didn't seem to suspect anything weird. He thought it was my brother or something."  
  
"Bakura, you've only known that guy for a few days!" Malik scolded, stepping in front of Ryou and keeping him from moving on. Yugi paused as well. "You are far too naïve. You can't trust a guy you just met! Sure he seems like an okay guy, but we don't know what he's really like. He could have told the whole school about it already!"  
  
"I...I don't think he would do that..." Ryou defended.  
  
"But you don't KNOW, Bakura. You don't know! True, he probably doesn't realize the truth of what he saw, but he still knows too much. Couldn't you have at least lied?"  
  
"I'm not very good at lying," Ryou said, head bowed in shame. "Should I go tell Professor Dumbledore? He may know how to handle-"  
  
"No," Malik said simply. "We should wait until we know more about whether Harry is going to tell, or has told anyone. And then cover it up if he is too close to discovering the truth. A little creativity on my part and it shouldn't be to hard."  
  
"You're going to tell him I'm crazy, aren't you?" Ryou accused. Malik chose not to reply. "But no using the millennium rod, at least," Ryou said. Again Malik said nothing. He only sped up his walking pace. Ryou jogged after him. "Malik, I mean it! No rod!"  
  
They caught up with Harry and company at the castle. Fred and George buzzed with excitement at the prospect of filling a spot on their team with a defensive chaser. Their blue and green hair could be seen flinting from Quidditch player to Quidditch player to inform them of the good news. They couldn't wait to tell Professor McGonagall. She got rather involved in Quidditch and she had been worried about the condition of the team this year. Of course, that was mostly because Fred and George were the captains, but the twins didn't pay any attention to that fact. Ryou really wished that they weren't in such a hurry to spread the word that he might join. It was going to make them all look bad if he decided to decline.  
  
This was one of their less eventful meals. Ryou was too worried to eat much. Worry had never stopped Yugi from eating to his little heart's content. Everyone made pleasant conversation. Malfoy entered rather late, casting them all dirty looks, but saying nothing as he headed to the Slytherin table. Madame Pomfrey had just finished fixing him up, no doubt. Lucky for all of them, she never asked many questions.  
  
Students began to file out of the Great Hall as they finished eating. The twins hurried Ryou along so that they could begin teaching him about Quidditch. Yugi followed. He wanted to hear all about it too. It was a new game, after all. But as Harry got up to follow, Malik stopped him.  
  
"Could I speak to you a moment, Harry? Alone?"  
  
"Er..." Harry wasn't sure if he should accept. Walking off with people he didn't know all that well never proved to be a good idea.  
  
"Please. I really need to speak to you. It's important," Malik said, all seriousness. It was against his better judgment, but Harry felt that Malik was telling the truth.  
  
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "Go on ahead. I'll be right with you."  
  
"Harry..." Hermione said in a concerned tone. She knew it wasn't a wise move to go off alone.  
  
"I'll be fine. Go on," Harry answered. "Where do you want to talk," he said turning to Malik.  
  
"Anywhere private," Malik answered. That was a good sign. If Malik was a servant of Voldemort in disguise, then he would probably have chosen a specific location to turn on him. Harry led Malik to down a corridor and into a classroom he knew to be empty.  
  
"Alright, what is it you wanted to talk about?" Harry said.  
  
"Bakura."  
  
"Bakura? What about him?"  
  
"I'm worried about him," Malik said solemnly. "He's been acting somewhat strange."  
  
"Er... Well, you've known him longer than me, right? Is this strange for him?" Harry asked cautiously. Maybe Malik could give him some information, but he didn't want to sound like he was snooping.  
  
"Well, he's been one for rapid mood shifts as long as I've known him," Malik said truthfully. "He's normally a nice enough guy, a pushover even, but like everyone, he has his moments. No doubt you've noticed." Malik paused, giving Harry an opportunity to say something, but Harry remained quiet, so Malik continued. "It's not his fault; he's had a rough life. It even surprises him how he can behave sometimes. I suspect he scares himself." Malik paused again, noting from Harry's expression that the gears in his head were turning.  
  
Harry made the connection that Malik had been trying for. Perhaps that was why the boggart took on the form it did. But part of that didn't make sense. If Bakura had been in fact seeing himself, then why would he have been so terrified, no matter how "scared of himself" he was? The way Bakura responded was not a reaction one would associate with such a fear. Bakura had appeared scared for his very life, like he expected the absolute worst. He'd been in hysterics. All that for a simple mirror image? Couldn't be...  
  
But Malik had not been present during the incident, so he had no way of knowing all this. If he had, he could have come up with a better way to throw Harry off the trail. After all, twisting the truth was a talent Malik excelled at, which prepared him for anything Harry could throw at him.  
  
"Well, if he normally acts like that," Harry said, "what do you mean when you say he's been acting strange?"  
  
"He's been lost in his thoughts more recently," Malik said. "Something's been worrying him, and I don't mean simple school matters. I thought I would ask you about it since you're in his house. Did something happen in one of your classes or in the dorm?"  
  
"Why are you asking me instead of Yugi?" Harry asked, somewhat suspicious, but not showing it in his voice.  
  
"I respect Yugi and all, but he has perception the size of a pea when it comes to these things. He can come up with the most complicated strategies you've ever seen, be he often can't see what's right in front of him. But you. I can tell you have sense. And you seem observant, so I thought you would have noticed if something was going on. Besides," Malik added, "I started noticing this strangeness yesterday afternoon, after classes. He seemed awfully...distracted. Concerned even. He wasn't like that earlier in the day. Did something happen between Care of Magical Creatures and that evening? He was around you the whole time, right?" Malik knew that how Harry answered this question would tell him all he needed to know. If Harry told him about the incident with the boggart, then it meant that he was a concern. A decent person, but a concern nonetheless. And Malik would have to do something to make sure that there was nothing to worry about. And if that meant using the millennium rod, then that's what he would do, for the sake of keeping their secrets. But if Harry didn't tell him, then he could be trusted. It all depended on where Harry's principles lied. Did he put more importance on Malik's worry for Ryou, or his promise not to tell anyone? It was the ultimate test of a good person.  
  
"I don't know of anything you don't," Harry said after a moment. "Maybe it's because he got involved in this fight with Malfoy. That did happen in Hagrid's class. Maybe it just didn't hit him till that afternoon. He does seem like the type that would rather avoid a fight. Most of the time, anyway..."  
  
Malik gave a sigh of relief. "I suppose you could be right. Thanks, Harry. I appreciate your honesty with me."  
  
Harry's insides seemed to be tied in a knot. He was torn between what was right. He'd given his word not to tell, but Malik was Bakura's friend and he seemed worried. What would he want if he were in Bakura's situation? Well, he felt he could trust his friends with just about anything. But Bakura had clearly expressed his wishes. He did not want Harry to tell anyone. And Harry had to respect that, no matter what his personal opinion was. He wasn't going to mention it to anyone who didn't know about it already. But Malik had also not convinced him that there was nothing especially odd about Bakura. Harry was still unsure about what to think. Hopefully speaking with Sirius would make him feel better.  
  
"Well, I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," Malik said. "Thanks again. I guess I should have figured this was somehow Malfoy's fault. Everything seems to be. Maybe Bakura will be better if he has that sport of yours to distract him." Malik smiled in a friendly manner and turned to head to his dorm, pausing for a moment to give Harry one last opportunity to tell him Bakura's secret. Malik was satisfied when Harry said nothing. 'I am so good at what I do,' he thought as he left.  
  
................................  
  
"The Keeper tries to block the Bludger, and the Seeker-"  
  
"No, no!" Fred corrected. "The Keeper tries to block the Quaffle. It's the other team's Keeper that you will have to try to get around."  
  
"Then what does the Seeker do?" Ryou asked, scratching his head in utter confusion.  
  
"The Seeker tries to catch the Golden Snitch. But you don't need to worry about that," George said. "You need to focus on getting the Quaffle around the opponent's Keeper."  
  
"But what are the Bludgers for, then?" asked Ryou.  
  
"They fly around trying to knock people off their brooms," George said. Ryou's eyes widened considerably. "Oh, but that's what the Beaters are for. That's us," said George indicating himself and Fred. "It's our job to protect our team from the Bludgers, and we're good at it."  
  
"Besides," Fred said, "We saw from your earlier flying that you're a natural when it comes to defensive flight. If you were able to predict Malfoy's moves, the Bludgers shouldn't be a concern."  
  
Ryou sighed heavily. "You know, I'm really more of a board game person..."  
  
"I can't say I blame you," Hermione commented. "A board game is a lot less dangerous." Ryou laughed nervously. That's what she thought...  
  
"Come on, Bakura," Yugi encouraged. "You need to branch out more. Try new things."  
  
"Oh yes," Ryou replied with a hint of sarcasm. "Wouldn't want to be playing the SAME GAME over and over again, would I?" Yugi gave his best "I don't know what you're talking about" look and glanced away.  
  
It was about this time that Harry returned. "What did Malik want?" Ron asked.  
  
"Nothing important," Harry replied with a shrug.  
  
"Come here, Harry," Fred gestured. "Maybe you can make him understand Quidditch better."  
  
"I can try."  
  
Thus, Harry began his attempts at teaching Ryou the rules of Quidditch. It took some time, but Ryou eventually got the gist of it. Harry recommended checking out "Quidditch through the Ages," from the library for more help.  
  
The common room began to clear as students headed to bed. Hermione took this opportunity to ask a question that had been on her mind. "Yugi? May I ask you about that pendant you always where?"  
  
"My pendant?"  
  
"Yes," Hermione said with a nod. "I thought it looked interesting. I've been meaning to ask you about it. Where did you get it?"  
  
"My Grampa. He got it from Egypt," Yugi said. "It took me eight years to finish it."  
  
"Finish it?" Ron questioned.  
  
"It's a puzzle," said Yugi, holding it up so that they could see the tiny lines that proved the pendant to indeed be a puzzle.  
  
"That's neat," Hermione said. "I've never seen anything like it."  
  
"It's one of a kind," Yugi said with a grin.  
  
"Do you where it all the time?" Harry asked.  
  
Yugi nodded. "Just about. I'm kinda attached to it," he said with a laugh. "It's my most important possession. You wouldn't believe how many collectors have been willing to kill to get their hands on this." The others laughed, not knowing the truth in Yugi's statement. Ryou couldn't help but shuffle uncomfortably.  
  
It was starting to get late. They packed up their homework and various other things to be brought to their rooms. "I'll let you know about that Quidditch thing soon," Ryou assured the twins. "I need to sleep on it."  
  
"But you're going to say 'yes', right?" Fred said with a sly grin.  
  
Ryou sighed, defeated. "Probably."  
  
"All right! Thank you, Whitey; the team appreciates it. Oh, here. You dropped your inkwell on the chair." George tossed the tiny glass bottle to Ryou.  
  
THWACK!!!  
  
The bottle smacked Ryou on the forehead and fell to the floor, thankfully not breaking. Ryou stumbled backwards and his hand shot up to the location of the impact.  
  
"Ow..." he said, letting the low moan of pain escape him as he rubbed his forehead.  
  
The twins put on identical expressions of anxiety. "Please don't tell me he can't catch..." George groaned.  
  
"Did I neglect to mention that Phys Ed was my worst class?" Ryou muttered.  
  
"Whitey, throw something to me. Balled up paper, anything," George said, suspecting that his defensive flyer was too good to be true. Ryou did as he was told. Still rubbing his forehead, he crumpled up a piece of parchment and threw it towards George. It fell three feet short.  
  
"So he flies like an ace, but he can't catch and he throws like a girl, we can still work with that, right?" Fred asked hopefully.  
  
Hermione "humphed". "I throw better than that." She, of course, meant not to associate girls with an inability to throw, but that's not how it sounded.  
  
"Well, the Quaffle's a larger ball," said Fred, trying to remain optimistic, "Maybe he'll be able to handle it better." The expression on Ryou's face told George that wasn't necessarily true.  
  
"Oh, boy," George sighed.  
  
.........................  
  
R&R! 


	21. Meetings with Professor White

NOTE TO FANARTISTS: Chibizoo is also looking for help from you. Check out her bio to contact her for more info. And fanfic authors, don't forget to work on your contest entry stories. July will come quickly!  
  
And so Spring break didn't get me as much time to write as I thought it would. File all complaints with my secretary, Ryou (who doesn't actually do any work, just sits at a desk and looks pretty), or my lawyer, Malik (who strangely has never lost a case. Maybe that Rod has something to do with it). Complain to Yami Bakura or Yami Malik, and they will likely hurt you.  
  
Okay. I was going to post the correction for the pronunciation of Ryou's name in this chapter, but I got seven or eight different responders who all swear theirs is the right way to say it. So in order to avoid favoritism, I'll just say read last chapter's reviews if you're interested. I can't really explain how to say his name to someone who's never heard it pronounced correctly anyway, so just continue saying it whichever way you already are. It doesn't really matter that much. I apologize to those who I told I was going to post their explanation in this chapter.  
  
Jounouchi is pronounced just the way it looks. Joe-no-chi. That one I know for sure.  
  
For those who don't understand the position of Chaser, it shall be explained in the story in time.  
  
Thanks so much for the preview of the fifth Harry Potter, DMG Mana! Must order my copy, or else I won't get one 'til Christmas... -_-  
  
...................................  
  
Chapter 21: Meetings with Professor White  
  
Ryou went to bed that night thinking that he now had a guilt-free excuse not to be on the team. The Weasly twins did not see it so, and would not be so easily discouraged, as Ryou found out the next day at breakfast.  
  
"Whitey! Hey, Whitey!"  
  
Upon hearing Fred address him, Ryou turned from his eggs. "Yes?" he asked cautiously.  
  
Fred gestured to a boy standing beside him. "Dean, here, is going to teach you to catch and throw." The twins smiled broadly as if this were the best possible news.  
  
Ryou's mouth involuntarily dropped. Malik snickered at his reaction.  
  
"Fred an' George told me how you needed help," Dean said. "And they told me how you handled Malfoy. The team needs someone like that. And I have a foolproof method to get you as skilled as any other Chaser. Luckily all those muggle sports I played have prepared me for almost anything." Dean grinned, apparently proud of himself.  
  
Ryou smiled back sheepishly. "Really, you don't need to go through all that trouble for me, I can just-"  
  
"Nonsense, Whitey," George said, clapping Ryou on the back. "It's for the team and Gryffindor! Besides, everyone should know how to catch and throw. We don't mind doing you this favor. We'll meet by the lake this afternoon. Be ready!"  
  
"Uh...thanks..." Ryou muttered, barely audible.  
  
"No problem!" George said. "See you later." They waved as they headed towards the other, less crowded end of the Gryffindor table. When Ryou turned back to his plate, his eggs didn't seem nearly as appetizing as they had before and he pushed his plate away. Yugi seemed sympathetic, while Malik appeared to be enjoying Ryou's situation.  
  
"So, Bakura, you're already well on your way to the top of both Divination and Quidditch, which subject are you going to conquer next?" Malik asked in a mock reporter's voice while holding a hand to Ryou's face as if it contained a microphone.  
  
"Transfiguration. I'm going to turn you into something that doesn't talk nearly as much," Ryou mumbled.  
  
Malik only snickered some more. "It's not as easy as it sounds, you know."  
  
"You don't have to play if you don't want to," Hermione commented, sensing how Ryou really felt. "They'll understand."  
  
"She's right," Harry added. "If you're not comfortable playing, I'm sure we'll make do. Don't let Fred and George talk you into something you don't want to do."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Malik said, speaking up before Ryou got the chance. "Bakura can't wait to play. He just doesn't want to seem too eager."  
  
"I can speak for myself, Malik," Ryou said, narrowing his eyes. Malik put his hands up submissively and said no more. "I'll give them a chance," Ryou said to Hermione and Harry as he stood and slung his book bag over his shoulder. "I'm not committing to anything yet. See you in Professor McGonagall's class."  
  
"Wait for me, Bakura," Yugi called, picking up his own books. Malik watched, shaking his head as they left.  
  
"He's as good as on the team," he muttered, sipping his orange juice. "He'll never turn them down."  
  
.................................  
  
Yugi and Ryou headed towards class early and were the first in Transfiguration. McGonagall was already there, and she greeted them, a little less stern than she usually was. They soon saw why, as she immediately congratulated Ryou on being up for the Quidditch team. But, always the professional, she also informed him that it would be no excuse to slack off on his homework.  
  
"Should I really join the team, Professor?" Ryou asked. "You know, all things considered?"  
  
"I don't see why not. You two, or you four, I should say, said that your... "situation" wasn't going to be a problem, didn't you?"  
  
"Right, but..." Ryou scratched his head. He really didn't have anything to say to that.  
  
"Are you getting along well in your other classes?" the Professor asked.  
  
"We're doing pretty well," Yugi answered cheerfully. "We're making friends and getting along with most everybody."  
  
"Most everybody? I take it Mr. Malfoy would not be included in that?" McGonagall said, giving Yugi and Ryou her piercing glance.  
  
"So you heard," Ryou mumbled.  
  
"From both Professor Snape and Hagrid. They said that there were...questionable circumstances in their classes. Care to enlighten me?"  
  
"The other me doesn't care for Malfoy," Ryou admitted. He decided not to include Malik's involvement. "There's a severe personality clash. Believe me, it's mutual. Malfoy doesn't like him... er, me, um... us, either."  
  
"I'm afraid that all of you will just have to put forth more of an effort. I don't want any more reports like this. You are not going to have any special consideration when it comes to behavior."  
  
"Look, woman, I am not going to let that annoying little daddy's boy, Malfoy, push me or anyone associated with me around," Yami Bakura said angrily, suddenly taking control and giving Ryou no chance to protest. "If I'm pushed, I push back, and that's just the way it works. If you want to keep the peace, you'll inform that miserable little boy to stay out of my way."  
  
McGonagall seemed unfazed by Bakura's sudden personality shift and even less impressed by Yami Bakura's warning. "I shall do no such thing. It is your responsibility to restrain yourself. You've said that you've existed for centuries. Surely if you've been through that much, you can handle a 'little boy'. And five points from Gryffindor for your disrespectful outburst."  
  
"What?!" Yami Bakura was not used to being shot down so easily. He gritted his teeth and angrily clenched his fists. Yugi, fearing the worst, stepped in front of Yami Bakura, hands outstretched to block Yami Bakura in any way he could.  
  
"Calm down! Please! You'll just get us all in trouble. The Professor's right. Malfoy's nothing. Just don't worry about him!" Yugi pleaded. Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes at Yugi and scowled. But then his expression softened as Ryou was once more allowed control. Yugi gave a relieved sigh and lowered his arms. "Between you and Malik, I'm going to end up having a heart-attack by the age of twenty..." Yugi muttered.  
  
Ryou massaged his temples as if he had a headache. "Sorry, Yugi," he said, then he quickly turned to the Professor. "And I apologize for my other's actions, Professor," he added. "He has very little in the way of patience, and I can't stop him when he's like this."  
  
McGonagall nodded slightly in Ryou's direction. "What the your dark personality does doesn't affect my opinion of you, Mr. Bakura. It would not be fair." She gave Ryou a small, comforting smile. He returned it. "But I do want you and Yugi doing the best you can to prevent the fighting. Your friend, Mr. Ishtal, seems like he will put forth no such effort."  
  
"Malik?" Yugi question.  
  
"Yes, I am aware that he is not completely innocent. Ten minutes with him in my class was more than enough to let me know that." She was referring to Malik immediately turning to the advanced spells in the back of his book, and then becoming frustrated when he found himself unable to use them, muttering something about the "lousy swizzle stick, can't even turn Malfoy into a cockroach..." McGonagall continued. "But he is in Professor Snape's house, not mine, so it is not my place to speak to him about his behavior. And Professor Snape can't seem to find any wrong with him."  
  
"Except that he's friends with us," Ryou said.  
  
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Professor Snape has his...personality quirks, but he is fiercely loyal to the headmaster and Hogwarts, and he is more than willing to take risks for the sake of either. You shouldn't be so quick to judge. Such as in the case of many others, there is more to Professor Snape than what you see."  
  
The teacher is wise, Yami said from the corners of Yugi's mind. Yugi nodded in agreement. But he still couldn't see Professor Snape sticking his neck out for anybody. It just didn't fit.  
  
This was the first day that Yugi and Ryou really got any special attention in classes. In both Transfiguration and Charms, the other students were too far ahead for the boys to possibly start at their level. Once the more experienced students were started on their lessons, the professors worked on teaching Yugi and Ryou the basics. Yugi was delighted to finally find something that he was better at than Ryou. Yugi had a knack for wand work. He was able to turn a matchstick into a needle after only half and hour, while Ryou only succeeded in making his matchstick pointy. Ryou wasn't too upset about it. What did he want more sharp objects around for, anyway? Truth be told, Ryou didn't see much point to transfiguration at all. Wouldn't it be just as easy to buy a needle? And why would anyone want to turn a turtle into a teapot? Poor turtle... What did it do to deserve that? Besides, what were the chances that you would have a turtle handy, but not a teapot? And how unsanitary to be pouring your drinks from what used to be the mouth of a turtle. It all seemed somewhat ridiculous to Ryou.  
  
In charms, Yugi shined again, mastering the popular "Wingardium Leviosa" in almost record time. Ron complimented him, saying that Yugi would be a natural at duels. Wizard duels, of course. Once more, Ryou found wand work difficult. He ended up with his wand floating out of his hand rather than the feather that was supposed to. Tiny Professor Flitwick (who made even Yugi feel tall) said that Ryou was too distracted. Mastery of the wand requires a mind focused on the task at hand. Ryou could reply with nothing but a shrug.  
  
After lunch was Herbology. It was Yugi and Ryou's turn to be introduced to the Snapdragons. Luckily, there was no one in the class conspiring against them (as was the case with Malik) so there was little danger involved. Herbology seemed like little more than greenhouse work. Very little skill required for the actual work, though one would have to a bit learned to remember all the techniques and facts required. Which was why it was so amazing that Herbology was Neville Longbottom's subject.  
  
After classes, they all headed out to the lake to see how the Weasly twins' latest plan would work out. Fred and George were already there as there last class had let out early when someone's potion started releasing toxic fumes and the dungeon area had to be evacuated. Professor Snape had not been happy. But the fumes had also not allowed the Slytherins to their dorm, so Malik was also there waiting. He'd made sure Malfoy didn't follow this time. Dean arrived shortly after, having gone to set down his school stuff and pick up some supplies. He held in his hands a large softball, or cabbage ball.  
  
"Shouldn't we start with the Quaffle, Dean?" Fred asked.  
  
"I know what I'm doing," Dean answered. He instructed Ryou to stand about twenty feet from him. "Now, Bakura, this ball is easy enough to catch, and not too awkward to throw. Think you can handle it?"  
  
"I-I can try," Ryou stammered.  
  
"You better do more than try," Dean said. "Because I'll be aiming for your head, and if you don't catch it, it will hurt." Dean reared back.  
  
"WHAT?!" Ryou hollered. Dean let the ball fly, and as promised, it headed straight for Ryou's face. Ryou yelped and dove to the ground, hands covering his head protectively. The ball landed harmlessly behind him.  
  
"Now it doesn't work if you do it that way," Dean scolded, hands on his hips.  
  
"You were going to hit me in the face!" Ryou accused, looking up from the ground.  
  
"That's the idea," Dean said. Apparently this whole plan made sense to him. "I'm going to force you to catch it, with it being that or getting hit with the ball. Works every time. It's how my Grandfather taught me and all my cousins how to catch. Sure, there were some black eyes, but it was nothing. We all learned how to catch perfectly in almost no time. And it was all done completely without magic."  
  
"But you were going to hit me in the face," Ryou repeated, convinced he didn't need another argument.  
  
"Now, look," Dean said in a very authoritive manner. "This WILL work, but not if you jump to the ground every time I throw the ball at you. Don't make me curse it to follow you around and hit you until you catch it, because I will if I need to."  
  
"Isn't that a tad harsh?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Relax, Hermione," George said. "We wouldn't let Dean do it this way if we thought Whitey could really get hurt."  
  
"How is my getting bruised going to successfully motivate me to play?" Ryou asked, arms crossed.  
  
"The satisfaction of learning how to catch would be more than enough, I would think," Dean replied. "Now get back into position and lets try this again."  
  
"I am going to regret this," Ryou muttered.  
  
Harry didn't stick around to watch Ryou get pummeled for too long. He had other business to attend to...a meeting with Sirius. Ron and Hermione were the only other souls who knew the true identity of the mysterious Professor White besides him, a few staff members, and Dumbledore. Harry had told them while alone in the common room on the night he himself had found out.  
  
Tonight, Harry had more on his mind than paying a simple, cheerful visit.  
  
Sirius gave Harry a distracted greeting when he entered. The professor was rummaging around on his desk, having misplaced the next day's lesson.  
  
"I'll be with you in a minute, Harry," he said.  
  
"It's fine," Harry assured. "I just wanted to talk before we got started on the training. No boggart today, I hope."  
  
"No, definitely not," Sirius replied. "I think a boggart isn't a challenge for you anymore anyway. I think you can handle it or a dementor should you ever come across one."  
  
"Well," Harry started. "I kinda wanted to talk about what happened with the boggart last time. With that guy..."  
  
Sirius stopped what he was doing and looked up. "Has the boy been alright?"  
  
"Yes, but... it's weird. He's weird. Him and the other guy who showed up on the train with him, Yugi."  
  
"What's so weird about them?" Sirius asked, growing concerned.  
  
"The way they act. They're nice and perfectly calm one minute, and then the next it's like they're a totally different person. Like Bakura, for example. He's so quiet most of the time, but every once in a while...he'll change and remind me of whatever it was the boggart turned into. With that sinister expression and attitude. I...I just thought I should ask you what you think about it. Am I completely paranoid?"  
  
"No, I don't think you're paranoid," Sirius answered, walking away from his desk and towards Harry. "I felt that there was something not quite right. That boggart incident had been bugging me, too. But...I'm sure that we don't have the whole story, so I'm hesitant to suggest anything."  
  
"Do you think they could have been sent by Voldemort?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know," Sirius answered. "It would be odd for him to recruit so young, but I wouldn't put it past him. I have to say that what you're telling be does sound a bit like the Imperius Curse. Sudden temperament changes, acting out of the ordinary..."  
  
"But how come they don't react to being under its influence?" Harry said. "They snap out of it as it nothing happened. And they change at the oddest moments. Like to play chess or fight with Malfoy. Plus...it's not just their personality. They change physically, too! Yugi gets taller and Bakura's hair gets spikier and both their eyes change shape. Hermione and Ron don't see it, but I know I'm not the only one."  
  
"And how do you know that?"  
  
"Because they seem to notice when the other changes. I've seen it in their faces."  
  
"That does sound odd," Sirius said. "And you think that the boggart was a clue? Is that why you used it to bring this subject up?" Harry nodded. "I think you're right," Sirius agreed. "But how to put it all together? Tell you what. We'll skip today's session, and I'll go talk to Dumbledore. Maybe he knows something we don't."  
  
"I think that's a good idea." Harry said.  
  
"I really should have gone to Dumbledore earlier," Sirius said, not happy with himself. "I though I was being paranoid. I guess you can never be too careful, especially these days. It could be explained why the boggart seemed to turn into that boy, Bakura. I rationalized that it must have been an abusive brother or something. But what it called him made me really start to wonder."  
  
"What it called him?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"Didn't you hear what it said?" Sirius questioned.  
  
"No, I couldn't hear it."  
  
Sirius paused. "It said something about giving too much freedom. And it called Bakura 'landlord'."  
  
"Landlord? What does that mean?"  
  
"I don't know. That's what confused me. If it were a brother, why would it call him 'landlord'? And the way it seemed to make everything go dark was...unnerving."  
  
Harry thought hard. "Could they be some sort of magical creature? Like Lupin? That would explain why they act weird only part of the time and why Bakura would be scared of himself."  
  
"I don't know of any such creature off hand," Sirius said, hand stroking his chin as he thought. "They wouldn't be werewolves or vampires. No shapeshifter that I know of."  
  
"Maybe they're only part something," Harry suggested, open to any possibility. "And when they act strange is when that part takes over."  
  
"But still, why 'landlord?'"  
  
Harry was stumped. "I think you should just go to Dumbledore."  
  
"Good idea." Sirius said with a nod. "I'll let you know what I find out when I see you again."  
  
"I really hope this doesn't turn out to be something bad," Harry said as Sirius prepared to go.  
  
"Well if it is, just be glad we caught it early," assured Sirius.  
  
"It's not just that," Harry said.  
  
"What then?"  
  
Harry shrugged. "I kinda like them. They're nice and funny and seem like they would be good friends. And the way they look out for each other is really admirable. Reminds me a lot of me, Ron, and Hermione."  
  
"Take care, Harry," Sirius advised. "Evil hides behind a mask of kindness, as you've already seen in the past."  
  
Harry sighed. "I know..."  
  
.................................  
  
It was unsure yet whether Dean's method was doing Ryou any good, and Dean said it would be a few days before any improvement would show. A trip to Madame Pomfrey was necessary after this first practice to help with Ryou's fresh bruises. They weren't as bad as Ryou thought they would be. He'd had worse.  
  
Normally, Ryou would give up on caring about what other people thought at this point and quit. But one more negative remark from Yami Bakura and Ryou was determined to prove himself at least ABLE to make the team. Whether or not the spirit of the ring was using reverse psychology is unknown.  
  
At dinner, Malik revealed the letter he had translated for Yugi.  
  
"Took me last night and a bit of this afternoon to finish it," Malik commented. "Hope you appreciate it."  
  
"Oh, I do, Malik. Thanks!" Yugi said. "Here Bakura, you gonna send it with your letter?"  
  
"Of course." Ryou took the letter and luckily happened to glance at it as he was about to put it away. "Malik!"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You didn't do a very good job of translating," Ryou scolded. "Yugi does not refer to Kaiba like that."  
  
"He should. The guy is a-"  
  
"Thank you, Malik. I can see what you think he is from this letter."  
  
"What did he say?" Yugi asked innocently.  
  
"Nevermind," Ryou said. "Hermione, do you have something that can erase quill ink?"  
  
Hermione reached in her bag and pulled out what looked like a tiny brush. "I never leave the common room without it," she said. Ryou was unsure, but he found that when he brushed over the offensive words, they erased cleanly and he was able to correct the translation, mocking Malik's handwriting to the best of his ability. One couldn't tell that a change had been made when he finished.  
  
"I'll go send them with Nightshade now," said Ryou. "I'm done eating."  
  
"Do you know where the Owlery is?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes, thank you," Ryou answered. "Want to tag along, Yugi?"  
  
"Sure!"  
  
Yugi and Ryou picked up and headed up to the tower that contained the Owlery. Soon after, and announcement was made that the dungeon areas were clean again and Malik was able to return to the Slytherin dorm. Students continued filing out, and finally, Harry, Ron, and Hermione did the same. But as they were heading to the Gryffindor common room, Harry saw Sirius walking down another hallway out of the corner of his eye. He must have just come from speaking with Dumbledore.  
  
"I'll be right with you," he said to Ron and Hermione. "Go on ahead. I've got to talk to Professor White."  
  
"Are you going to fill us in on all these private meetings, Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
"Later," Harry said, darting off to catch up with Sirius.  
  
Harry found him as he was heading into his classroom. "Si-Professor, what did Dumbledore say?"  
  
Sirius turned to face Harry. Harry had not seen a look quite like this on his godfather's face before.  
  
"Harry, you know I would tell you if it was something that you needed to worry about now, right?" Sirius asked seriously.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then trust me when I say that you should stay out of it for the time being. This is one of those things where the less you know, the better."  
  
Harry looked almost hurt. What could it possibly be that even Sirius wouldn't tell him?  
  
"You needn't concern yourself," Sirius said again. "Dumbledore told me everything, but I gave him my word not to share it with another soul. If it were something dangerous, he would not make me give that promise."  
  
Harry sighed. "I understand."  
  
"Good," Sirius said with a nod. "I have a feeling that this will not remain a secret to everyone for long. And should the time come, it will likely be your new friends who explain everything to you."  
  
If there was anything that could give Harry confidence that Yugi and Bakura were safe to be around, it was the way Sirius referred to them as his "new friends."  
  
...................................  
  
Twenty-one chapters down, God knows how many left to go...  
  
R&R! 


	22. Letters from Home

NOTE: I reloaded this chapter to correct something that was bothering me that I didn't catch last night. So when this shows up as an update, it is not because of a new chapter.  
  
As always, Ayod Botla, you provide me with interesting links. Thanks a bunch! ^^  
  
Some didn't seem to understand this, but Professor White and Sirius are the same person. Reread the chapter "The Past and the Present" for more on this.  
  
I've been getting a lot of suggestions for this story. Be aware that I already know how I am going to handle the main story line and I WILL NOT be changing my original plan. I've researched and planned and all that work will not go to waste. BUT, I may accept suggestions for side storylines that do not affect the main plot, such as was the case in this chapter. Please do not get offended if I don't use your suggestion, as it would only be because it does not fit in with my plan. Truth be told, it would be hard to accept any suggestions at this point, as I am too far into the story. The suggestions used in this chapter were submitted months ago, so I had time to figure them in.  
  
And happy May everyone. White Angel is tired. White Angel is uninspired. And White Angel needs a vacation. So school needs to hurry the Hell up and be done with. White Angel...needs...sleep...  
  
Chapter 21: Letters from Home  
  
....................................  
  
Alone at his desk sat the Hogwarts headmaster, Professor Dumbledore. The start of the term hustle and bustle was finally over and things had not been going as smoothly as he would have hoped, but he couldn't complain. Things could be far worse. Now most of his work was answering mail. This wouldn't seem like such a huge task, but the headmaster had many correspondents. His pensive was nearby to store away any excess thoughts for later.  
  
Dumbledore was working rather late this night. He had just begun on a letter from Cornelius Fudge when there was a knock at his door. The knock startled awake Fawkes the phoenix who chirped in protest, ruffling his feathers. Professor Dumbledore, on the other hand, had been expecting this late night call. "Enter," he said.  
  
The door opened and Professor Snape entered, bowing his head slightly towards the headmaster. "I apologize for the lateness, Albus."  
  
"I quite understand," Dumbledore answered. "Did you come across any trouble?"  
  
"No," Snape answered, closing the door and taking a seat at Dumbledore's desk. "I found a new recruit among the Deatheaters at The Three Broomsticks with some information. He didn't know that I was among those on the Dark Lord's traitor list. I needed only flash the dark mark and he treated me like a brother."  
  
Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "You must practice caution that your true identity is not revealed."  
  
"I am careful," Snape replied. "I use a fake name, of course. This amateur Deatheater will be useful for information. His family has been supporters of the Dark Lord for years but managed to escape questioning when Voldemort fell, and he is quickly moving up in ranks. He was quite happy to find a fellow follower in the area as so many others have left."  
  
Dumbledore put his quill down and gave Snape his full attention. "The Deatheaters are moving?"  
  
"Yes," Snape answered. "To Egypt. Exactly why, I am not yet sure, but it seems the Dark Lord is looking for something and has offered an impressive reward in exchange for it. Many Deatheaters, especially those who denied him in the past, are searching in hopes to clear their names with Voldemort and prove loyal."  
  
Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "And no clues as to what he's looking for?"  
  
"The fool at the tavern only knew that it was something from legend," replied Snape with a shake of his head and a sigh. "But perhaps I can get more out of him in time. Now Dumbledore, if you excuse me, it's late and I have classes tomorrow. Let's see if my students can go a week without blowing something up."  
  
"Thank you Severus," Dumbledore said. "Your help is most appreciated."  
  
Snape nodded his parting and left Dumbledore to return to his work. The headmaster stared down at the letter from Fudge. The thoughtful look returned to his face and he once more stroked his beard as he read Fudges inquiries regarding the new transfer students.  
  
"Hmmm... Egypt," Dumbledore murmured. "I wonder..."  
  
....................................  
  
Yugi, Malik, and Ryou were quickly growing more and more accustomed to their new surroundings and were learning how to get by. Ryou didn't want to do anymore Tarot readings for a while, and Harry and Ron advised him that if he told Professor Trelawney that it was in the stars that he was not to do anymore readings, she wouldn't make him. It worked like a charm. She didn't want to jeopardize the abilities of her new best student. Ryou was allowed to research other means of divination instead. He decided to try the same trick on Lavender and Parvati and they bought it despite Ryou's truly horrible lies. Even though all this saved him some trouble, he still felt a little guilty.  
  
Yugi was advancing much faster in Charms and Transfiguration than Ryou was. He could master most spells in a few hours' time and even Hermione was impressed. He began studying spells for that wizard's duel stuff Ron had mentioned. It looked a bit dangerous to him, but he thought that disarming charms and such may come in handy.  
  
Malik was yet to find a subject that he really excelled at. He might have done well in Ancient Ruins if he could manage to stay awake. And he absolutely hated wand work. He felt as if he would end up breaking the fool thing. He much preferred his millennium rod. The subject he was actually doing best at was potions. And, as he always partnered with Ryou, he ensured Ryou's passing, too. If Ryou had teamed up with a fellow Gryffindor, Snape would have certainly failed him. Snape still somehow managed to give Ryou a lower grade than Malik.  
  
In Care of Magical Creatures, the Irish Pygmies kept everyone very busy. The little dragons were forming a bond with their caregiver's based on their treatment. For Yugi and Hermione, this meant a muzzle was no longer needed. For Malfoy, this meant that a muzzle, a set of gloves, and a trip to the hospital wing were often needed. Ryou and Malik and Ron and Harry's dragons were becoming tamer, but were still quite hyper, so the muzzles were still used as a precaution. The class was often spent either caring for the dragons or harvesting potion ingredients from them. The Pygmies went through the disturbing act of shedding their skin and losing their first teeth and it was the students' job to collect them. Yugi, Ryou, and Malik were astounded to find out from Harry that this was actually Hagrid's least disgusting project.  
  
Dean's teachings were finally starting to show for Ryou. He was hardly professional league material, but he could hold his own when it came to catching and throwing, but only for short distances. He and Dean (who would be playing Keeper) spent every other afternoon practicing on the old school brooms. Sometimes Yugi, Malik, Hermione, and Ron would come to watch. Harry was usually there already, practicing himself. Fred and George tested Ryou out against the Bludgers and were once more impressed. Ryou was able to dodge everything they threw at him and still pass to fellow Chaser Josie for the score. The twins pleaded with Ryou to finally make a commitment to the team so that they could order him a broom. After much begging from Fred and George and self-debate on Ryou's part (in more than one way), he finally agreed. He only hoped he wasn't getting in over his head.  
  
They were now two-and-a-half weeks into the term. The delivery owls arrived as they normally did as the Gryffindors and their adopted Slytherin sat down to breakfast. Only this time, a school barn owl had a delivery for Malik, and Nightshade arrived with the responses from Domino City for Yugi.  
  
"About time Isis replies," Malik complained as he removed the letter from the barn owl's leg and began to read. Isis had first complimented Malik on his use of English. Little did she know just how easy it had been. Languages had always been Isis's talent. She needed it for when she traveled for the museum. She wrote how she was glad Malik had made it to school alright and said Rishid sent his love. She also warned Malik to behave himself, which made him laugh. 'Little late, sis,' Malik thought. But what he read next was what he found most interesting.  
  
"Ha!" Malik said, "As soon as I'm gone, she latches on to the first man that comes along. Just as soon as I'm not there to scare him away."  
  
"Isis found a boyfriend?" Yugi asked.  
  
"It was just a date at the time she sent this letter, but it's probably moved forward since then, knowing Isis," Malik answered.  
  
"Who is it?' Yugi inquired.  
  
"She didn't give a name. Like you or me would recognize it anyway. It's somebody who made a delivery to the museum," replied Malik. "He brought her a bunch of artifacts from a dig site and asked her to dinner. She describes him as, and I quote, 'a dashing redhead with a darling accent.' Sis always was a sucker for accents. Oh, well, it could be worse. At least it's not Kaiba."  
  
"I can't read a word of my letter from Grampa," Yugi said, frowning down at the paper in his hand. "I asked Anzu to answer in English in my last letter, but Grampa can't. Could you translate it for me, Bakura?"  
  
"You want me to rewrite it or just read it to you?" Ryou asked as he took the letter.  
  
"Just read it, please," Yugi replied.  
  
"Alright." Ryou skimmed over the letter first to check for anything that would have to be left out until they weren't around so many people. Harry, Ron, and Hermione busied themselves with their own conversation so as not to seem nosy. He didn't see anything, so he began reading, blushing a bit as he read the first sentences  
  
"Dear Yugi,  
  
Where do you get off sending that bird to me with no warning?! I nearly had a heart attack when that thing started flying at me. If I hadn't seen the paper around its leg, I don't know what I would have done." Yugi laughed in an embarrassed way. Ryou continued. "Tell, Bakura that I delivered his letter and Honda will be the one writing him back." Ryou smiled and made a mental note to thank the old man.  
  
"The shop's doing fine. Got in a new shipment the other day and business is doing great, though it is a little more hectic around here without you. Your friends still like to stop by a lot and their company is always welcome. I even gave Jounouchi a part-time job (with permission from school, of course) as your replacement, though between you and me, he doesn't quite measure up to you." Ryou had to stop reading at this point to wait for Malik to stop laughing. The blonde thought the "measure up" comment was quite funny.  
  
"Best of luck to you. Make me proud.  
  
Love, Grampa  
  
P.S. Do you think you could send me some of those wizard games? I think they would sell really well."  
  
"Nice try, Grampa," Yugi said as he took the letter back. "Thanks Bakura. Yugi moved on to Anzu's letter, which he was able to understand on his own, and read silently.  
  
Dear Yugi,  
  
Hope this letter finds you well. The gang really misses you, but we know that this new boarding school of yours is a wonderful opportunity and we want you to do your best. But it's boring around here with both you and Bakura gone. Did he get a chance to tell you that he was leaving as well before you left?  
  
School is the same as it always is for us. We're all in the same class again, and Kaiba's there as well. He misses you, too, though he expresses it a different way. He keeps saying that you left so that you wouldn't have to accept his challenge again. It gets Jounouchi mad and he always challenges Kaiba to defend your honor, but he doesn't do a very good job of it. He's getting better at it, though. That job your Grampa gave him (as I'm sure he's already told you about) is really helping him to get some new cards for his deck.  
  
Honda's still fighting with Otogi for Shizuka's affection, much to Jounouchi's dismay. She's back with her mom, but they write letters to her a lot. Almost every time there's a fight between the boys, though, it's usually about her.  
  
How is the other you getting along? Great, I hope. I hope he's found someone to duel against, otherwise I bet he's having a really tough time. I know how the two of you like your games. Tell him not to get you into any trouble. I doubt magic will sit well with your teachers.  
  
I should be able to do my traveling sometime in the near future, too. My English is getting really good, as I hope you can see (I thought it was rather odd for you to ask me to answer in English, but I suppose that's so you can get better at it, right?). My savings are growing, and my dream of studying dance shouldn't be too far away.  
  
Write back soon and tell us how you're doing. Work really hard, okay?  
  
Love, Anzu  
  
Yugi smiled and sighed as he finished the letter. It reminded him about how much he really missed the others. This was the longest he'd been away from them since they all became friends, but he knew in his heart that simply being separated would not affect their friendship. He could only hope that the same could be said for all these new secrets he would have to keep. So many secrets... He had to keep the wizard world secret from his Domino City friends, and he had to keep his alter ego and millennium item powers secret from his new Hogwarts friends. At least he had Ryou and Malik to talk to without having to be careful. He'd probably end up going insane were it not for them, even if they often caused trouble, purposely or accidentally.  
  
Yugi pulled his bookbag into his lap and carefully tucked the letter away. He would have to be careful about where he left things like that. It would be difficult to explain should anyone else ever find it.  
  
....................................  
  
About a week after Ryou agreed to join the Quidditch team, he received a parcel carried by two large grey owls. It was undoubtedly his broom and this did not go unnoticed.  
  
"The Gryffindors must be desperate," Malfoy muttered. "They recruited that trash for the team. But with the Weaslys' as captains, I expected stupid moves like this. We're going to slaughter them at the first game. Potter won't be able to save them this time."  
  
The twins excitedly rushed over to Ryou when they saw the package arrive. "We got you a broom suited to your strong points, Whitey," George said. "Go ahead, open it!"  
  
Ryou did as he was told and tore into the brown packaging paper to reveal his smooth, wooden-handled, soft-strawed broomstick. A golden sun with rays seemingly emanating from it was painted on the handle.  
  
"It's a Solar Flare," Fred said proudly. "It's not as fast as the Nimbuses or the Firebolts, but it's steadier. And with your less than perfect throwing and catching abilities, steadiness is what you'll need."  
  
"And it's great for defensive maneuvers, which are your strong suit," George added.  
  
"She's a beauty," Harry agreed. "Much better than that old broom of George's that you've been using. You should be pretty good with that." Ryou had to admit, he was anxious to try it out.  
  
"We'll try her out this afternoon," said George. "A little practice, and we should flatten those Slytherins at the game."  
  
Ryou stared agape at George. "Slytherin is our first match?"  
  
"Always is," George replied.  
  
Ryou felt that familiar feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach.  
  
Malik put a finger to his chin in thought. "Do you think I would lose points with Snape if I cheered for your team...?"  
  
"Most definitely," Harry answered.  
  
"Oh," Malik said. "I shall have to be more subtle about it then."  
  
...................................  
  
They all had been managing to stay out of trouble for the most part. Malik, however, had a harder time of it when he wasn't in the company of the Gryffindors. His private war with Malfoy was progressing, and it probably wouldn't be long before somebody ended up getting hurt. But both parties were stubborn and used to getting their way. And neither liked losing.  
  
They had been back and forth at each other since the incident with Ryou and the broom, which Malik started by mixing up Malfoy's potion ingredients. Malik didn't want Malfoy's attention on Ryou. He'd seen that the Ring Spirit had been in a difficult mood, and therefore was unpredictable. Normally, Malik would find this entertaining, but it would be the end of the road for all of them if Yami Bakura finally decided he'd had enough and started taking care of business. Just the opposite was possible as well. Yami Bakura could decide to do nothing, which would leave Ryou helpless. Nether would be good in Malik's opinion. It was best to keep Malfoy's attention on himself until Yami Bakura was a tad more reliable.  
  
Malfoy retaliated, of course. His first method was to get Malik out of Snape's favor. He pointed out to the professor that Malik had not been sitting with his fellow Slytherins at mealtimes and had been avoiding them at off periods. He suggested that maybe Malik was not loyal to the Slytherin house. Perhaps he was revealing information such as passwords to the Gryffindors. But this plan backfired on Malfoy. Snape scolded him for making such accusations about a housemate. He didn't want to hear anymore of it. There was no rule that said that students were not free to associate with other houses if they so desired.  
  
But Snape was one to say one thing and do another. He walked over to the Gryffindor table at the very next mealtime, sneering at Harry's group, and especially at Ryou, and spoke to Malik about why he chose to sit at the Gryffindor table rather than with the Slytherins. He didn't seem to care that he was insinuating that a Slytherin shouldn't sit with Gryffindors. Harry, Ron, and Hermione quickly busied themselves so that it would not appear that Malik was with them. No matter how fond of Malik Snape seemed to be, he would not tolerate him if he was friends with Potter and crew, and they knew this.  
  
Malik knew exactly how to respond to retain Snape's favor. His first response was the hasty question, "There isn't a rule against it, is there?" Ryou and Yugi had to keep themselves from rolling their eyes at this. Of all the people to say such a thing... But Malik knew what he was doing. A teacher likes Snape likes those who respect the rules. Snape had to respond that no, there was not rule against it, but he still wanted to know why.  
  
Malik clapped Ryou on the back and gave Snape a knowing look. "I want to make sure that he stays out of trouble. In order to make a proper impression upon him, I must be with him as much as possible."  
  
"'HE' has a name," Ryou whispered under his breath to Malik, annoyed at once more being made out as some kind of mischief-making monster.  
  
Snape wasn't quite sure about Malik's answer. It was odd for a person of this age to have such dedication towards the betterment of another student unless there was something in it for him. He suspected that there was more going on than what he was seeing, but he had no evidence. He gave Malik a silent nod and returned to the teacher's table.  
  
Ryou sighed heavily. "You are not helping my reputation any," he muttered. "But that teacher is going to catch on soon enough. Why don't you tell the truth: that you don't get along with the other Slytherins?"  
  
Malik shook his head slowly, his hair and earrings swaying with the motion of his head. "You just don't know how to play the game, Bakura. The involvement of authority figures just causes more trouble. If I say I don't get along with the Slytherins or even Malfoy specifically, Snape will wonder why. Then Malfoy will say something I did, I'll say something he did, and eventually the whole thing will be traced back to you."  
  
"Me! How can it be traced back to me!" Ryou exclaimed. "Surely he can't say that the dragon incident was the cause of this. You two were fighting since before we even got to school!"  
  
"Well, there is the dragon, but also..." Malik leaned over and whispered, "It was YOU who told me to rob Malfoy in the first place. Remember, Diagon Alley?"  
  
"HE started all this mess!" Ryou said aghast before catching himself. "You can't blame me for that!" Ryou whispered back. "I didn't know what was going on."  
  
"Does it matter?" Malik said with a shrug, sitting up straight once more.  
  
"But the only people who know that's how it went are me and..." Then he suddenly realized. "You wouldn't dare..."  
  
Malik shrugged again, smiling mischievously. "I'm not saying that I would turn you in, I'm just saying that things might be said, you never know."  
  
"You darn well better know!" Ryou said, crossing his arms. "Of all people, you should be good at keeping secrets." He knew Malik was just trying to get a reaction out of him, but he didn't care. For Malik to even suggest such a thing that was so far out of his control was Ryou's fault took nerve. Malik merely flashed the angry Ryou a toothy grin and left it at that. Though Malik wouldn't really do anything that would really hurt Ryou (and in fact he strived for the opposite), he did so love to aggravate his companion every once in a while. Yugi was never as much fun to pick on because he always just shrugged it off, but Malik could always get a reaction out of Ryou.  
  
Harry couldn't help but catch the tail end of that conversation and it started to get him thinking again. 'Don't,' He warned himself. 'Sirius said to let it go. He knows and Dumbledore knows and neither thinks I should. That should be good enough for me.'  
  
But alas, that was never enough...not for Harry, at least...  
  
...................................  
  
Finally, some time lapses! Yea! *happy dance*  
  
Credit for Isis's pairing goes to The Mad Fangirl. And I didn't forget you, Ayod Botla. Your suggestion will be in the next chapter. Thanks for the ideas, ya'll! Appreciate your patience in waiting for me to get to them! 


	23. Of Fate and Card Games

For those who are not familiar with the character of Sirius, here's some info (that is accurate as far as we know) to help you understand. He's human, but has the ability to transform into a large dog just like McGonagall can transform into a cat. He's Harry's Godfather who was framed for murder and spent about eleven years in the wizard prison Azkaban because of it. He was also partially blamed for the deaths of Harry's parents; people believed he led Voldemort to them. The only people who know the truth of his innocence are Harry, Ron, Hermione, a few teachers, and Dumbledore. Snape has held a serious grudge against Sirius since their school days; Sirius was in Harry's father's group of friends and Snape hated them all. Sirius is still wanted for murder, and if found, he will likely be killed.  
  
I hope this chapter isn't too wishy-washy. My writing tends to reflect the mood I'm in, and I happened to be in a fluffy mood while writing the beginning of this. Perhaps I made Yami Bakura too "human" but I think it fits the way I've characterized him in this story.  
  
And this chapter was a little late, so I tossed in an extra 1000 words. Enjoy, because my finals are approaching (Trig. is EVIL!!!) and I don't know how regularly I'll be able to update until June.  
  
Chapter 23: Of Fate and Card Games  
  
...................................  
  
The weather was starting to show its first real signs of autumn. The once warm and pleasant days were quickly becoming cool and windy. Storm clouds blew in from the west, bringing with them enough force to ensure that the students at Hogwarts were going to have to stay inside for a while, and on a weekend at that.  
  
Being stuck inside had a rather negative effect on Malik. He hated being cooped up with a passion and it made him anxious, especially when he was alone.  
  
Yugi was studying in the library trying to catch up on some research for McGonagall's class. Malik had lost Ryou somewhere. The Weasly twins had likely frisked him away somewhere to discuss their latest plan for that sport of theirs. Either that, or the white-haired teen was hiding in his dorm where he was safe from both his new fans and getting into any new disputes with Malfoy. Either way, this left Malik by himself. He was not about to go to library himself, even though he knew he should as he had homework of his own. He chose instead to wander about the halls of Hogwarts castle and wait for something to catch his attention.  
  
The halls were mostly empty except for those close to high traffic areas like the Great Hall, the library, and the dorms. This was fine with Malik. He didn't like it when there were too many people around, especially since he'd caught the vast majority of the student population staring at him at one point or another. Sure, Yugi and Ryou were stared at, too, but the gazes Malik got seemed to be less curious and more suspicious, like everyone expected trouble from him. But he figured this was probably Malfoy's fault in one way or another. Perhaps the students were just impressed that Malik wasn't intimidated by Malfoy. Didn't really matter to Malik. 'The other students can think what they want,' he told himself. That's what he told himself now, but he really didn't like it that people were always so suspicious of him.  
  
Malik's footsteps echoed against the walls of the empty hallway. The torches were lit to cast some light on this dark and cloudy day. He heard the steady drip of water sneaking in from a crack and the howl of the wind coming from outside. He casually walked to a nearby window and peeked outside. Droplets pelted against the window and he could feel the coldness of the wind and water when he placed his hand against the glass. The weather was a far cry from what he was used to in Egypt.  
  
He saw that he must be higher up than he realized; the ground seemed so far below him. Just how high did this castle go? Malik turned from the window and continued on his path. He soon happened on a flight of spiral stairs that seemed to lead to yet another upper story. Having nowhere better to go, he began to climb. The stairs seemed to go on forever and the narrow staircase was dark and uncomfortable. The thought came to Malik that perhaps he was venturing to an abandoned section of the castle and he was about to turn back, but he realized that the sound of the outside storm was much clearer here. Much closer. Did these stairs lead to the roof? Only one way to find out.  
  
Malik continued up, eventually coming to a large wooden door. This had to lead out. He could feel the wind ruffling the bottom of his robes from where it snuck in under the door. Some fresh air did sound nice. Malik grabbed the handle and, after a bit of struggling, managed to open the door. He was met with a welcome blast of cool, moist air as he stepped out. This area was shielded from the brunt of the storm, the roof being outstretched to create a protected area. Then there was an open space, completely exposed to the elements. This must be where the students went when they needed to stargaze. It was rather nice in Malik's opinion. Much better than being stuck inside the castle. It wasn't long before Malik realized that he wasn't the only one who thought so. He wasn't alone. A figure leaned casually against the wall, staring out at the storm, white hair being teased by the wind.  
  
"So this is where you've been hiding," Malik said upon recognizing the figure. "No one would look for you this far out of the way."  
  
"And yet here you are," came the low reply, hinting at annoyance. Not how Ryou would answer.  
  
"Oh, it's you," Malik said, realizing his mistake. This was Yami Bakura he was speaking to. The Ring Spirit barely acknowledged Malik's presence, not even bothering to turn to look at him as the Egyptian came closer and stood beside him. "What are you doing up here? Just thinking?" Malik asked.  
  
"I don't need to explain myself to you," Yami Bakura snapped turning his head for a moment only to glare at Malik before turning back to face the storm.  
  
Malik narrowed his eyes. "Forgive me for asking," he replied sarcastically, choosing a spot on the wall beside Yami Bakura to lean against. He was silent for a moment, then, "How long are you going to act like this?"  
  
"Act like what?" Yami Bakura said as if he didn't care to hear the answer.  
  
"Like the world's against you and you hate everyone for it," Malik said simply. "This indifferent attitude of yours is getting on my nerves."  
  
"I don't care if my attitude annoys you, Malik," the spirit replied. "You cannot comprehend what's been going through my mind, so it would be pointless to share it with you. I keep my problems to myself."  
  
"And they never get solved that way," Malik said. "You may consider yourself to be this high and mighty immortal, but you were born human just like the rest of us, and the sooner you admit it, the better off you'll be."  
  
"Shut up, Malik," Yami Bakura said harshly.  
  
"Fine," Malik said, angrily turning to leave. "So much for having each other's back..."  
  
Yami Bakura bit his lip. If he wasn't careful, he was going to make things worse. "Wait," he said.  
  
"Admitting you're more human than you act?" Malik asked.  
  
Yami Bakura scoffed. "Yeah, you wait for that." Malik sighed, somewhat relieved. That was a typical Yami Bakura answer. Maybe they were getting somewhere now. Yami Bakura pulled something from his pocket and squatted down, resting his back against the wall and his arms on his knees. Malik sat down beside him, giving Yami Bakura a curious look as he saw the object in his hands. A pocketknife.  
  
"I thought Bakura tossed all your sharp objects," Malik said.  
  
"Ryou doesn't stop me from having something I want." Malik raised an eyebrow, knowing that statement wasn't exactly true, but not saying anything. He had a hunch that Ryou wasn't aware at the moment and knew nothing about the knife. Yami Bakura toyed with the blade in his hands absentmindedly.  
  
"So what's on your mind that you use your moment of freedom to hang around up here?" Malik asked, trying to get the conversation going. He felt Yami Bakura was a valuable ally, maybe even a friend, so it was important to keep relations smooth.  
  
"I like to watch the rain," Yami Bakura answered. But clearly that wasn't all. Malik waited for him to continue. Yami Bakura opened the pocketknife and dangled it between his index finger and thumb. "Do you ever feel that fate is mocking you? Like it's holding a dagger over your head, just waiting for the moment when you feel safest to let the blade drop?"  
  
"Do you know who you're talking to?" Malik asked. "Who's been more screwed by fate than me? Sure, I didn't spend centuries in a millennium item, but still, I've had it pretty rough." Malik paused a moment in thought. "But it hasn't been that bad here. It beats the Hell out of the way my life was before. I could get used to this wizard lifestyle." Malik eyed Yami Bakura. "So what's with this sudden view of fate? Surely that wasn't just a casual observation?"  
  
Yami Bakura sighed. "Nothing. I've just been thinking too much. There's just been a lot to worry about since we came to this school. And no, Mr. Suddenly Gives a Damn, I don't want to discuss it."  
  
"That's alright. I didn't really want to hear it," Malik said matter-of- factly. Yami Bakura gave him a look. "I'm not used to seeing you so openly disturbed," Malik observed. Then he smirked. "You know what I think?"  
  
"No. And I don't think I want to," Yami Bakura answered.  
  
"I think," Malik continued, ignoring Yami Bakura's comment, "that you and Bakura are really starting to rub off on each other." Yami Bakura scoffed. "No, it's true," Malik said. "He's becoming less of a push-over. He's taking more risks and I think he's actually enjoying it. And you... well, you've been less inclined to kill anybody who ticks you off. And no power trips, either."  
  
"What makes you think that I'm not just biding my time?" Yami Bakura questioned, casting Malik a piercing glance. "Everyone else who knows about me seems to think that I could turn against them again at any moment."  
  
"You're talking about Bakura and that thing that turned into you, aren't you?" Malik asked.  
  
Yami Bakura stared blankly into the storm. "It's good that he still fears me. Him and everybody else. Fear is a sign of respect."  
  
"Oh, come off it," Malik said. "The very idea that he would still be scared of you is eating you away from the inside out. Anyway, he's not afraid of you now. I think you took it entirely the wrong way. I mean, you scared the Hell out of Bakura at more than one point; you can't blame him for still being afraid of what you were. I bet he still has nightmares. It's not easy sharing your body with a sadistic psychopath." Yami Bakura gave Malik an angry look, but Malik continued on. "But the fact that he trusts you now, even after all of that, should let you know how far you've come in Bakura's view."  
  
"Ryou is careless with his trust. Always has been. His trust is not hard to win, which makes it almost meaningless. So he's not the best way to show 'how far I've come,' as you put it."  
  
"I thought this was all about Ryou's opinion of you?" Malik asked, slightly confused.  
  
"I just get tired of having everyone suspicious of me," said Yami Bakura, remembering his conversation with Yami after the Tarot card reading. "Always thinking that I'm going to stab them in the back. I am aware of what I've done in the past, and I'd be lying if I said I regretted it or would change it if I could. But I'd just like to move on."  
  
"Everyone's suspicious of you, huh? I've been sitting here with you on this roof, alone, no witnesses. You have a knife and two millennium items. I have one, which is virtually useless against you, as I can't very well mind- control someone who's already controlling someone else. The rod has that blade in it, but I know I can't beat you in a knife fight, even if you fought fair. And yet, I don't feel threatened. That should tell you something." Yami Bakura looked at Malik, expression somewhat softened. "And believe me, I know what it is like to have everyone suspicious of you. People who don't even know me automatically assume I'm trouble."  
  
"That's because you are."  
  
"And you're not? Unlike you, I do regret some of the things I've done. I would change it if I could. I like causing a little trouble here and there, but that's all in fun. But you... You are a freakin' paradox, you know that. You pride yourself in being so bad and tough, yet you're offended when people are suspicious of you, believing fate is against you. More of Bakura's personality seeping into you. Are your souls colliding, or something?"  
  
"I'm not getting more like Ryou," Yami Bakura argued. "I'm just more focused now, clearer of mind. And it's a pain in the ass, too. It was so much more fun when I was going for the millennium items. I had a goal, and I didn't worry about anything else but that. It was so much simpler. Now I have to make sure that I don't get Ryou or any of his little friends in trouble. I have to give up my freedom so he can study or play that stupid sport of his that I told him not to get involved with in the first place."  
  
"So Bakura's disobeying you? And you really don't HAVE to do those things; you're just willing to. You and Bakura are in the process of switching roles, it seems. Could it be you're becoming a nice guy?" Yami Bakura gave Malik a shove in response that caught the blonde off guard and toppled him over. He chuckled as he got back up and climbed to his feet. "Guess not, huh?" He laughed again. Yami Bakura looked cross, but that was his natural expression, so Malik thought nothing of it. "Well, I'm hungry and they'll be serving lunch soon. Coming with?"  
  
"No, I think I stay here a while longer," the spirit answered.  
  
"Suit yourself," said Malik, turning to leave. He paused as he was about to open the door. "You know, some people would tell you that you can't fight fate. You can only make do with what you have and accept the inevitable. But I won't say that. Screw fate. You control your own destiny. So whatever hand fate is dealing you, make sure you have a few aces up your sleeve." Yami Bakura answered with a smirk and nodded as Malik disappeared behind the door.  
  
"That's good advice, Malik," Yami Bakura muttered. "I just hope you remember that yourself...because fate has a Hell of a hand waiting for you, and fate does not like to lose..." Yami Bakura opened the blade of his knife. "And neither do I, which makes you lucky that we're on the same team."  
  
.................................  
  
Yugi stared down at his book of spells. He'd stopped actually reading it about twenty minutes earlier. Now he was just kinda looking at it with absolutely nothing registering. He barely noticed when Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in and sat at his table.  
  
"Hey, Yugi," Hermione said. "Studying?"  
  
"If you can call it that," he answered with a yawn. "That what you're here for?"  
  
Hermione nodded. "That essay for Snape is going to be a killer."  
  
"But it's not due 'til next week," Yugi said. "We have the whole weekend and then some."  
  
"That's what we said," Ron muttered, making a face. "But Hermione's making us 'get an early start.'"  
  
"Well, you can all wait until the last minute, but I'm not," she replied.  
  
Yugi yawned again and rubbed his eyes. You're tired, Yami observed. Why don't you rest for a while?  
  
That's a good idea, Yugi agreed. You want control for a while?  
  
Yes. But walk away first. I don't want to take over in front of Harry. I believe he's catching on, and I don't want to make it too easy for him. Yugi thought that was a good idea.  
  
"I need a break," Yugi said. "I can't focus on this anymore." He closed his book and got up to return it to the shelf. When he came back, he looked considerably more refreshed. Harry caught sight of this and eyed Ron and Hermione to see if they noticed. They didn't.  
  
"I'm feeling in the mood to play a game," Yami said. "Maybe I can talk Bakura or even Malik into playing cards. Any of you seen them?"  
  
"Not since breakfast," Harry said. Yami thought that was a little suspicious. He hoped they weren't causing trouble. But just shook his head and shrugged.  
  
"I guess I'll play solitaire instead," he said, pulling his deck out and sitting down and the table. He shuffled and dealt out the Duel Monsters cards in the method he had devised for a one-player version of the game. Harry, Ron, and Hermione tried to remain focused on their work, but it wasn't long before Yugi's activities caught their attention and the potions essay was long forgotten.  
  
"What kind of cards are those?" Ron asked curiously. "My dad's collected some packs of muggle playing cards, but I've never seen any like that."  
  
"I believe they have it here in England," Yami answered. "It's called Duel Monsters and you could likely find it at any game shop. Any non-magic game shop at least. It was created in America, and it became very popular in Japan and a lot of other parts of the world. Malik, Bakura, and I play it."  
  
"Oh, was this what Malik was talking about when he called you 'King of Games?'" Ron asked.  
  
"Yes, I have that title," Yami said. Yugi would have been a bit more humble about it, but that was not in the pharaoh's nature.  
  
"I've heard of games like this," Hermione said. "It's one of those monster battling games, right? The ones muggles base on stories of magic?" Yami nodded. "How do you read those cards if you can't read Japanese at the moment?" asked Hermione.  
  
"I've long since memorized the cards in my deck," Yami said. "I know each of them by heart."  
  
"It looks interesting," Harry observed. "I'd like to watch when you find someone to play against, if you don't mind."  
  
Yami looked solemn. "The game is much more impressive when we use the holographic duel disk system. Brings more life to the game. Unfortunately, technology doesn't work here, right?"  
  
"Did you say holographic?" Harry asked. "What exactly do you mean by that?"  
  
"The duel disk creates a hologram of the monsters on the cards," Yami answered dully. "Makes them look real and simulates the battle."  
  
"Wow, like on those sci-fi movies," Hermione said in awe. "I didn't even know they made that. I live among muggles, you'd think I would have heard of it."  
  
"I don't know if the technology's made it to England yet," Yami said. "But I assure you, it does exist, and it was created especially for this game. The inventor is really into the game, perhaps too into it." Yami frowned at his mention of Kaiba. "I've played against him, and he's good. But I'm better."  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Ron said, waving his hands to get attention. "You're saying that you have this muggle invention that makes those cards look like they're real monsters?!"  
  
"Yes," Yami said simply. Ron looked confused.  
  
"But how can they do that without magic?"  
  
"I'd show you if it worked here," Yami said shrugging.  
  
"I would really like to see that," Harry said, tapping his finger on his chin in thought.  
  
"No, Harry," Hermione said, seeing that Harry's gears were turning.  
  
"There is that Hogsmeade trip coming up..." Ron mused. "Everyone will be distracted. We COULD sneak off, then..."  
  
"We could never get far enough and back in time," Hermione said, shaking her head. "Forget it."  
  
"If we took the brooms we could," Harry said. "I could carry one other person on my Firebolt. And Bakura could carry another on his Solar Flare..."  
  
"Absolutely not!" Hermione said defiantly, shaking her finger at them. "We'd get caught for sure! There's no way!"  
  
"I could borrow one of my brothers' brooms," Ron said, ignoring Hermione. "Or we could even have them tag along. They'd love to see this, and they'd be able to help us not get caught. They're experts at this sneaking off stuff." Yami liked the way this was going. Hermione sighed, but refused to give up.  
  
"And how are you going to sneak off? Someone would see you fly off, no matter how high or low you were."  
  
"We could go to Hogsmeade with everyone else," Harry said, "then take off from the other side of the hill. No one would see us there, and we've snuck up that hill before without being seen."  
  
"Harry, weren't you told to avoid such risky situations?" Hermione reminded. "Anything could go wrong, and we don't know what to expect."  
  
Harry's face fell as he remembered. "Oh, yeah..."  
  
"Oh, Hermione," Ron argued, "it's not like we're going into the Forbidden Forest, or something. There's a big open plain about eight kilometers away from there. Completely empty and far enough from both muggle and wizard towns to avoid trouble. And far enough away from magic for technology to work, I'm sure. And we could make the trip in no time on brooms."  
  
"That doesn't sound too risky," Harry agreed. "No one would look for us there. And how long would it really take to see that hologram thing?"  
  
"A good game between me and one of the others would last about an hour at most," Yugi said. "And that's only if we exchange boasts and show off, which is likely, but can be left out if need be. How far away is this Hogsmeade trip?"  
  
"Next weekend," Harry answered. Yami grinned. Perfect. It looked like he was going to get a chance to really play.  
  
Hermione gave a frustrated groan. She was outnumbered. "If we get caught, don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
"Relax, Hermione," Ron said. "You know you want to see this, too."  
  
"Yes, but..." Hermione furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "Is it really worth the risk?"  
  
"To me it is," Yami said. "I've been eager to play a real game of Duel Monsters for weeks."  
  
"That settles it," Ron said, smiling. "We go!"  
  
A smile crept its way across Harry's face. It was something to look forward too. As long as nothing went wrong, that is.  
  
...................................  
  
Malik had gone all the way to the Great Hall before he realized he was early. His stomach was not yet on English time. It would be at least an hour and a half. So he had some time to kill. 'Might as well go back to the dorm and nap while waiting,' he thought. Unfortunately, something unpleasant stood in the hallway that led to the Slytherin common room.  
  
Malfoy gave Malik a dirty look as he approached. He was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed. "Coming back to touch up your make-up?" he taunted.  
  
Malik, having played the good guy all morning, was not willing to put up with Malfoy. "Ah, I'm so in the mood to put a loud mouth in his place right now, Malfoy. Just give me a reason."  
  
"I hope you know that we're going to slaughter your Gryffindor friends at the Quidditch match," Malfoy said. "Perhaps you should tell them to prepare for a bloodbath."  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if they end up teaching you and your team a few things," Malik replied smugly. You don't know the half of what they're capable of."  
  
"So why don't you tell me?" Malfoy said. "A true Slytherin would not withhold information."  
  
"I am not, and never claimed to be, a 'true Slytherin.'"  
  
"You have our potions master convinced of the opposite."  
  
Malik found this conversation to be growing tiresome. "Why can't you just accept the fact that Snape has a new favorite student? Go find someone else's butt to kiss."  
  
Malfoy put his hands up in mock submission. "Okay, you win. You are a far better butt-kisser than I. There, does that make you happy?"  
  
Malik narrowed his eyes angrily. "Alright, I've had enough," he said. 'Let's see how cocky you are after I make you stand in the rain for four hours,' he thought, reaching into his pocket for the millennium rod.  
  
Malfoy saw his movement. He knew Malik had to be about to use the Imperius curse on him again. Malik had always reached into his pocket right before something weird and unexplainable happened. Malfoy was determined to beat him to it this time. Like lightning, he pulled out his wand and immediately countered with a spell-breaker to ensure that Malik's curse would not work. Unfortunately, there was nothing to counter, and the spell hit Malik dead on.  
  
Malik was tossed rather painfully against the wall before he could activate the millennium rod, but was otherwise unharmed. He shook his head a moment to shake off the strange feeling the spell left on him. He examined himself quickly, to see if there were any effects of the magic. There were none that he could see. He was in one piece. He scoffed and immediately gave Malfoy a smug look. "That the best you can do?" he said. "That's your wizard magic? Pathetic. I barely felt it."  
  
Malfoy's mouth dropped open and a look of confusion spread across his face. "What's your problem?" Malik asked suspiciously. A look of realization spread across Malfoy's face and he immediately began to laugh hysterically, nearly doubling over. Malik's eyes went wide in his own confusion. He felt his face and his hair to make sure the spell didn't do something to him that he couldn't see. There was no difference that he could tell. He pulled a lock of his hair into view. It was the unchanged. "What the Hell's so funny?" Malik asked angrily. Malfoy made no move to answer him and continued laughing. Malik sighed. This was a waste of time. "You stay here giggling like an idiot. I'm going," he said, dismissing Malfoy with a wave of his hand.  
  
Malik walked past Malfoy and towards the dorms. Malfoy recovered himself and followed, much to Malik's annoyance. "Go away!" Malik shouted. Malfoy laughed again and ignored him. Malik shook his head, extremely frustrated at this point. He paused in front of the common room entrance. "Lion's blood," he said, giving the password, which was a shameless stab against Gryffindor, but he had no control over that. The door remained closed. He said the password again. Again nothing.  
  
"Alright, when did you change the password?" he said, turning angrily to Malfoy, who was still giggling like a fool. "What's the new password?" Malik shouted impatiently. Malfoy only smirked knowingly and shrugged, saying nothing. Malik took a deep breath to calm himself. 'Fine,' he thought. 'I didn't really need a nap in this damned dungeon anyway. I'll just head back upstairs.'  
  
He turned and stalked away. Malfoy laughed after him. 'He has no clue,' thought Malfoy. 'I wonder how long it will take him to figure out that my counter spell canceled out his language charm..."  
  
.................................  
  
Credit for malfunctioning language charm goes to Ayod Botla. I just tweaked it a bit. Thanks a lot!  
  
R&R! 


	24. Charms and Challenges

For the person who asked, no, I don't have a website. I am ignorant of almost all matters pertaining to the computer. I wouldn't mind having one, or even working for one (such as writing episode guides for the Japanese version) especially since it's almost summer and I will have some free time on my hands, but I don't have enough knowledge to do it on my own.  
  
Chapter 24: Charms and Challenges  
  
...................................  
  
Malik stared at his reflection in the mirror of the boy's bathroom. He saw absolutely nothing that should have sent Malfoy on his giggling fit. All his features were normal, well, normal for him anyway. 'Malfoy must have been just trying to get to me,' Malik thought. 'He must have seen that his spell didn't work and was just trying to psyche me out.' That had to be it. Malik checked out his reflection one last time, cursing himself silently for falling for Malfoy's trick before leaving for the Great Hall.  
  
Lunchtime had finally rolled around. The Great Hall seemed to be an even bigger jumble of broken conversations than it usually did. This seemed strange to Malik, as the room was not especially full yet, but he couldn't understand a word said by anybody. He brushed it off, thinking that he really didn't care about what everyone else was saying.  
  
He made his way to his usual spot at the Gryffindor table, putting the recent incident with Malfoy out of his mind. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were already there filling their plates. "Yugi" was also there, though it was immediately obvious to Malik that Yami was the one in control. He'd always found it strange that no one else could tell when one of his fellows switched personalities, but that was just part of the magic of the millennium items. What was impossible to see for a normal person was almost painfully obvious to someone who had an idea of what to look for.  
  
Malik sat down beside Yami and across from Harry, Ron and Hermione, giving them his usual greeting. He did not, however, get his usual response.  
  
Yami, Harry, and company's eyes widened in confusion as Malik spoke. It sounded to Harry and Hermione like nothing but gibberish. Yami and Ron found it familiar, but couldn't place it. They all looked up from their plates, staring at him. "What did you say?" Harry asked, thinking that perhaps he hadn't heard right.  
  
Malik couldn't understand a word Harry said, but their expressions told him that something was wrong. "Please just tell me what Malfoy did to me so I can decide what method to use to kill him."  
  
Hermione's ears, grown so sharp from listening for possible test questions in class, picked up the word "Malfoy." "Malfoy?" she asked. Malik nodded, speaking again, but this time nothing was understood.  
  
"What's all the excitement about?" came the charismatic voice of Yami Bakura. He'd finally wandered down from the roof for some food, but his windswept hair still showed signs of being outside. He crossed his arms over his chest as he looked on.  
  
Malik was growing more and more frustrated. He'd spoken to Yami Bakura not two hours earlier, and now he couldn't understand a word he said either. "If somebody doesn't tell me what the Hell is going on..." he said, trailing off.  
  
Yami Bakura cocked an eyebrow curiously, but expressed no surprise. He turned to Yami and asked simply, "Why is he speaking in Arabic?"  
  
"Oh, that's what he's doing!" Hermione said, amazed that she hadn't come to the realization herself.  
  
"I thought it sounded familiar," Ron said. He'd heard the language when he went on vacation to Egypt two years earlier.  
  
"I did too," Yami said. "I just couldn't place it. I haven't heard it spoken too often. How'd you recognize it so fast?"  
  
Yami Bakura made a face like it was obvious. "Well, my 'father' is an archeologist who spent a lot of time working in Egypt. I would at least be able to recognize the language." What Ryou knew from his father was all Yami Bakura knew about the language. Modern Arabic was not what he would have spoken back in Egypt, but it was not like that made a difference. Without a complete memory of his past existence, the two languages were equally Greek to him.  
  
"Okay, so he's speaking Arabic," Harry said. "Now, why?"  
  
"Well, he said 'Malfoy,'" Hermione replied, "Malfoy must have broken the language charm. It IS a new spell, so it has a few kinks. The simplest spell-breaker can counteract it."  
  
Malik felt ignored as well as confused and frustrated while the others discussed things he couldn't understand. He wondered if maybe his precious sanity had finally slipped completely out of his grasp. He sighed heavily and let his head drop to the table, mumbling incoherently in Arabic.  
  
Malfoy was watching the whole situation from the entranceway of the Great Hall, unseen. This had been an unexpected but nevertheless humorous outcome. He knew things would eventually be straightened out, but now he knew of a simple spell that would be of extreme inconvenience to Malik. And Malfoy had every intention of exploiting it.  
  
Now that they knew exactly what was going on, Yami and Yami Bakura found the situation quite amusing and couldn't help laugh a bit at Malik's predicament. But it wouldn't be long before Malik went from amusing to annoying, so Yami Bakura decided to end it.  
  
"Speak Japanese so I can understand you, moron," Yami Bakura said with a smirk, switching to the language himself.  
  
"Moron?!" Malik exclaimed, immediately turning angrily to Yami Bakura. But his anger disappeared, replaced by relief as soon as he realized that he understood what was just said. It took a great deal of Malik's self control to keep himself from hugging the tomb robber in elation. "I can understand you! Oh, thank the gods, I thought I was going insane."  
  
"No more than usual," Yami Bakura replied.  
  
"What a relief," Malik said, wiping his brow. "Now, would you mind explaining to me what is going on? Why can you only understand me if I speak Japanese?"  
  
"Your language charm's on the blink," Yami Bakura answered. "Did that possibility never cross your mind?"  
  
"Well..." Malik scratched his head embarrassedly. He really should have thought of that. "I've gotten so used to it, I just sorta forgot about the language charm entirely. Besides, how was I supposed to know the thing could be shut off? It does explain a lot, though."  
  
"Let me guess. Malfoy used his wand on you?"  
  
Malik nodded. "He did this accidentally, of course. I'm not sure what he was trying to do, but I don't think he expected this result. I'll just have to get my revenge later. But now that I know what's going on, this is no big deal. I can just have the language charm put on again, right?"  
  
Yami Bakura turned to Hermione and switched back to English momentarily. "The spell can be fixed, right?"  
  
"I suppose," Hermione answered. "If there's someone at this school who can perform it. Like I said, it's a new spell and not everyone can just do it. But surely either Professor Flitwick or Professor Dumbledore will be able to do it. I'll go see if I can find one of them." She got up and headed to the teachers' table in search of help.  
  
"She's going find someone to fix it," Yami Bakura explained to Malik.  
  
"Oh, looks like the fun's almost over." Malfoy sauntered over from where he had been quietly watching, sneering confidently. "Ah, well, it was entertaining while it lasted."  
  
"Yes, Malfoy, what a laugh," Harry said sarcastically. "Ha, ha, real cute. I hope you don't think that you're going to get away with it. Whoever has to redo this spell is going to want to know what made it stop working in the first place.  
  
"I was merely defending myself," Malfoy said, dripping with false innocence. "The fact that I used a counter charm proves that, as I think any professor will agree. Girly boy over there threatened me and then reached for his wand. I only moved to counteract whatever spell he was planning on using on me. It's not my fault he was pathetically slow and my spell breaker had nothing to work on but his language charm. He should know better than to think he could go wand to wand with me. He's nowhere near my league."  
  
"It doesn't do much good to insult someone who can't understand you," Yami said in his authoritive tone. "And it's cowardly to belittle someone incapable of defending himself."  
  
"Who asked for your input, shorty?" Malfoy shot back harshly. Yami was a bit taken aback. Even Kaiba didn't insult him so directly. His title of King of Games didn't get him the same respect here that it did back in Domino. But Yami found that exchanging simple insults was too childish for him.  
  
"I'm not going to let your rudeness drag me into this battle that you and my companions insist upon having," Yami answered condescendingly. "I only play games that are at least somewhat of a challenge."  
  
"Quite the cocky attitude," Malfoy mocked.  
  
"You have no idea," Yami answered smugly.  
  
Malik impatiently tapped Yami Bakura on the shoulder. "Translation, please."  
  
"They're just exchanging remarks. Yami actually defended you."  
  
"Well, there's something that doesn't happen everyday. Perhaps I'm growing on him."  
  
"Like a fungus," Yami Bakura muttered. He couldn't help but wonder if the Pharaoh would have done the same for him, although he told himself that he didn't care. Malik had tried to kill Yami more times than anyone else. He's come the closest to succeeding. But because Malik had had more fueling his rage than simple greed, he had been forgiven. After all, Malik was human and prone to error. But Yami Bakura had been after nothing but power. And many questioned just how much of his humanity remained. It would only be a matter of time before he would screw up again. This made it exceedingly difficult for Yami Bakura to gain the one thing he now wanted most...acceptance.  
  
Malik brought Yami Bakura out of his thoughts with another tap on the shoulder. "Translate for me."  
  
"What the Hell am I, your damned pocket translator?"  
  
"Hey, I'm the one at a disadvantage here," Malik argued. "Just give me a hand."  
  
"I'll give you a hand," Yami Bakura muttered. "Oy, Malfoy!"  
  
"Oh, it's the Gryffindors' pathetic new Chaser," Malfoy said with false enthusiasm. "You Gryffindors always were fond of putting girls on your team."  
  
"Whatever," Yami Bakura said, not in the mood to defend Ryou's skills. "Malik has something to say, and I'll be translating for him." He gave Malik a look, telling him he could start.  
  
"Well, Malfoy," Malik began, putting on a serious expression, "this little trick of yours was inconvenient to say the least, but you can rest assured that I'll pay you back for it."  
  
"He says that your spell was an inconvenience and nothing more, but you can expect his revenge to be much more than that," Yami Bakura said.  
  
"We seem to have gotten past the point of playing fair, so anything goes. And I have more tricks up my sleeve than you'll ever have," Malik continued.  
  
"He said you shouldn't have challenged him, but by doing so, you have brought on your own inevitable doom. Your little spells are nothing and you cannot comprehend the extent of the danger you are in by pursuing this battle."  
  
"That was a long translation," Malik observed.  
  
"Nevermind, that," Yami Bakura said. Malik didn't need to know about his adlibbing. Yami Bakura was better with words than Malik was. "You have more to say?" Yami Bakura asked.  
  
Malik sighed and continued. "This is your only warning Malfoy. I'll get you back for this when you least expect it."  
  
"He says there will be no warning when he is ready to bring forth his black revenge. It could come anytime, anywhere. But it will be coming. You can count on that. Oh, and on a side note, I haven't paid you back in full for the incident with the brooms." Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes menacingly. "More that you can look forward to."  
  
"You don't scare me," Malfoy answered.  
  
Yami Bakura smiled. "Keep telling yourself that."  
  
Malfoy scoffed. Looking past the others, he could see Hermione approaching with Professor McGonagall. That was his cue to leave. "I don't have time for this now," he said, turning to leave.  
  
"Go on, run," Yami Bakura taunted, "like the terrified little child you are."  
  
"I'm not running by any means," Malfoy defended. "I'm ready for whatever lame comeback you have planed. Bring it on. You're digging your own grave." Yami Bakura smirked knowingly, but gave no reply. His piercing gaze sent shivers down Malfoy's back. Malfoy turned and stalked off, reassuring himself that there was nothing to worry about. Both Malik and Bakura were all talk. What could they do?  
  
"Geez, remind me to stay on your good sides," Ron said, impressed.  
  
Professor McGonagall arrived, Hermione at her side. Hermione had been unable to find the charms teacher or the headmaster, so she had employed McGonagall's help. The teacher was a bit flustered.  
  
"Off set the language charm," she scolded. "Really, this private war has got to stop. Bakura, I thought we were at an understanding?"  
  
"Don't look at me. I'm as innocent as the day I was born," Yami Bakura defended. "This was between Malfoy and him," he said, thumbing at Malik, "I'm just a bystander...this time."  
  
Professor McGonagall gave Yami Bakura a look that clearly said that he better not mean anything by "this time." "Well, I suppose it would do no good to scold Mr. Ishtal if he can't understand me, although I suspect it will do no more good when he can understand. Some students are just stubborn when it comes to these things." McGonagall cast a knowing glance in Harry's direction. "I shall have to tend to this, as Professor Snape is on Hogwarts business today. Come along." She motioned for Malik to follow. "Professor Flitwick will be able to restore the charm. Then I shall have to have a talk with both Mr. Ishtal and Mr. Malfoy."  
  
"Go with her," Yami Bakura instructed Malik, who nodded and did as he was told. McGonagall led him out of the Great Hall and upstairs towards the Charms classroom.  
  
Yami sighed as Malik left. "Never a peaceful moment."  
  
"You know as well as I do that if things were peaceful, you would be bored out of your head," Yami Bakura said, taking Malik's place at the table.  
  
"Oh, speaking of being bored, I have a proposition for both you and Malik," Yami said. "But I think I'll wait for him to come back so that I don't have to repeat myself."  
  
"Fine, fine, whatever," Yami Bakura said, dismissing Yami with a wave of his hand. "Like I don't know what you're getting at, Mr. King of Games. Just don't bother me with it now." Yami Bakura rubbed his hands together expectantly. "So, what's for lunch?"  
  
Yami prayed silently for Ryou's digestive system as Yami Bakura helped himself to a large helping of steak and kidney pie while all the time eyeing the other dishes. Yami thought it would be best if Ryou didn't hear of this later.  
  
"Is that blood pudding?" the tomb robber asked hopefully.  
  
....................................  
  
"No way," Malik said decisively.  
  
"I must agree," Yami Bakura said. "What on earth made you think we would want to do that?"  
  
"But you're duelists!" Yami argued. "How can you just turn down a challenge?"  
  
"Like this," Malik said, "No."  
  
They were all seated in the library. Malik's language charm had been successfully restored, and both he and Malfoy were scolded by Professor McGonagall who promised them a detention if the fighting continued. Five points were taken from Slytherin, but it was not like that affected Malik. Now, Yami had just proposed the duel to Malik and Yami Bakura as Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked on. It was not going as Yami had hoped.  
  
"Did you not bring your duel disks?" Yami asked.  
  
"Of course I brought it. I wasn't going to be gone nine months without it. I brought it incase it would be needed," Malik said. "But I have no intention of using it against you."  
  
"Same here," Yami Bakura agreed.  
  
"Well, why not?" Yami asked, frustrated.  
  
"Maybe because there's no point to it," Yami Bakura replied. "You know our decks and strategies as well as we do. Add that to your God cards, and we have no chance whatsoever. Even I don't get involved in something I know I can't win."  
  
"Can't you just come up with new strategies?" Yami asked.  
  
"Easy for you to say," Malik answered. "It took me months to perfect my last strategy. I had a God card and you still beat me. I don't have enough cards on hand to develop a new plan in a week's time."  
  
"Cowards," Yami muttered. "Whatever happened to a duelist's pride? No matter how many times I beat Kaiba or Jounouchi, they always want to duel again."  
  
"That's because they're both idiots," Yami Bakura muttered.  
  
"Come on, guys," Ron said, coming to Yami's aide. "Me, Harry, and Hermione really want to see this halograph thingie in action."  
  
"Hologram, Ron," Hermione corrected.  
  
"Whatever you call it, I wanna see it."  
  
"Me, too," Harry agreed.  
  
"I'll be willing to make compromises," Yami offered.  
  
"Look guys," Hermione said. "If they don't want to, then they don't want to. Let's just forget this whole-"  
  
"Wait," Yami Bakura interrupted. "What do you mean 'compromises?'" Hermione sighed heavily. So close.  
  
"Name it," Yami said.  
  
Yami Bakura tapped a finger against his chin in thought. A duel would be a welcome distraction, even if he lost. After all, he hadn't dueled since...well, he didn't want to think about that. That was then, and this was now. But a game was nothing if there wasn't something on the line. Something for excitement, some element of risk...  
  
"Two conditions," Yami Bakura said.  
  
"Let's here them," Yami replied.  
  
"One, no God cards."  
  
"Done," Yami agreed. "What else?"  
  
Yami Bakura grinned devilishly. "Two, we turn the safety settings to zero."  
  
"What?! Why?!" Yami exclaimed.  
  
Yami Bakura's grin widened. "There has to be something to keep it interesting for me."  
  
"Oh, that does sound good," Malik agreed. "Well worth watching."  
  
"Wait, what do you mean, 'safety settings?'" Harry asked.  
  
"There can be a certain element of danger in operating the duel disks," Malik explained. "The holograms are so real that they can actually inflict pain upon the duelist. It adds more realism to the game. With the safety settings at zero, the game can really hurt if you're losing."  
  
"Oh, my God, that's horrible!" Hermione said, appalled. "Why would anyone want to do play a game like that?!"  
  
"It's an extreme game that only the most hardcore duelists can handle. Don't worry about them, they live for this kind of stuff," Malik assured.  
  
"Well, it sound ridiculous to me," Hermione huffed.  
  
"Talk about a serious game," Ron said in awe.  
  
"It's not any different from Quidditch," Harry said. "All the best games have risks involved."  
  
"It doesn't sound like just a risk to me," Hermione said. "It sounds more like a guarantee!"  
  
"Well?" Yami Bakura smirked. "You up to it?"  
  
"Always the masochist, aren't you?" Yami asked.  
  
"Only if I'm losing," Yami Bakura answered with a laugh. "But since I plan on winning, I guess you'd call me a sadist instead. But since there's no God cards involved, it won't be too dangerous. I know what I'm doing. The most that could happen is one of us gets knocked out. No lasting damage. So...do we have a deal?" Yami Bakura held a hand out.  
  
Yami thought a moment. Yami Bakura's plan did increase the excitement level greatly. It would increase the challenge as well. "Alright. Deal," he said, taking Yami Bakura's hand and shaking it. "I'm looking forward to it."  
  
"As am I," Yami Bakura agreed.  
  
..................................  
  
It was well past dark when Isis Ishtal returned home. The lights were on. Rishid had stayed awake waiting for her, even though she had told him not too. He had gladly offered to close the museum for her so that she could go on her date. But with Malik gone, Rishid's protectiveness was placed on Isis instead. It was cute in a strange sort of way.  
  
As she expected, Isis found Rishid sitting silently at the kitchen table, showing no signs of fatigue. He looked up at her as she entered. "Late night," he observed.  
  
"I did tell you not to wait up," she said, taking a seat.  
  
"I know. How was your date with that English boy?"  
  
"Oh, it was great," Isis replied. "He took me to dinner and then we went for a walk. He showed me the dig site where they found all those artifacts from the last shipment. I've never seen anyone else so comfortable in a tomb. Oh, and he has such a wonderful sense of humor. He had me laughing all night."  
  
Rishid nodded. "I'm glad you had a good time. You've been seeing him a lot, I've noticed."  
  
"Well, I like him," Isis replied. "He's very nice."  
  
"I hope Malik will agree with you when he comes back. He's never been fond of your boyfriends. He may make things difficult."  
  
"Oh, don't worry," Isis assured. "Malik will love him. Bill comes from a big family; he has five younger brothers and a sister. He'll be great with Malik, provided Malik doesn't come back and turn him into a toad or use whatever other ability he may have learned at that magic school." Isis laughed suddenly. "Imagine how Bill would react if I told him my little brother was at a school for sorcery." She laughed again, shaking her head as she pictured it.  
  
"It would probably come as quite a shock," Rishid replied, stone-faced as always.  
  
"Well, how were things at the museum?" Isis asked. "Did everything go alright?"  
  
Rishid's gaze wavered for a moment. "Nothing I couldn't handle," he answered.  
  
Isis looked curiously at Rishid. "Something out of the ordinary happen?"  
  
"A few men stayed in the museum for an excessively long time. They were dressed in dark robes; I almost thought they were old members of the Ghouls, but I realized upon closer inspection that I didn't recognize them. They spent at least five hours in the section where the stone tablets were displayed. I had to tell them to leave when the museum was closing. Then they made a strange offer..." Rishid paused a moment as he remembered. "They wanted to buy the stone tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh."  
  
"Buy it?" Isis repeated. "But it's a museum, you can't just pick souvenirs off the walls."  
  
"I know. I told them that. But they didn't seem to care. They kept saying that they could pay any price. The tablet seemed very important to them."  
  
"They couldn't have known the true information contained on the tablet," Isis said, bewildered. "That's known only to the grave keepers and millennium item holders."  
  
"They couldn't have been either," said Rishid. "If they were followers of Shadi they would have said so. And Shadi would have no need of the tablet. He already knows all that it contains. But these men were certainly persistent. I had to be very insistent to get them to leave, and even then, they were quite reluctant."  
  
"They must have just been collectors," Isis said. "Just like all the others we get from time to time, always trying to get rare artifacts, and they don't get much rarer than the Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh."  
  
Isis then jumped as the phone rang, startling her. She put a hand to her chest, exhaling slowly to calm herself. Rishid, as usual, had not been affected by the sudden disturbance, a quality of his that never ceased to amaze Isis. "Would you like me to get that?" he asked.  
  
"No, I'll get it," Isis answered. "Who would be calling this late, anyway."  
  
Isis answered and spent several solemn minutes on the phone, where she did almost none of the talking. She ended the conversation with a hesitant, "I'll be right there." As she hung up, Rishid looked at her, concerned.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"The museum has been broken into," Isis replied in a low tone. "Two of the guards were found dead; the officials can't tell how they were killed. They said that the bodies appeared unharmed except for the fact that they were dead..."  
  
"That's unfortunate," Rishid said sadly. "Did the murders succeed in getting whatever it was they were after?" Isis nodded. "What was it? What did those men lose their lives trying to protect?"  
  
Isis looked at Rishid. "The Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh."  
  
...............................  
  
R&R! 


	25. The Dream

Dammit! FF.net is all of a sudden having problems with the way I do the Yami/Hikari conversations! Sorry for the missing bits of the conversation after the dream and in Honeydukes. I'll have to replace my usual little symbols with "// \\" Got that YAMI/ HIKARI MENTAL CONVERSATIONS ARE NOW MARKED BY "// \\"  
  
Sorry for the extreme lateness, but what can I say? School's a ... well, can't think of a fitting word that would let me keep my PG rating.  
  
All readers be aware that I don't mind if you form your own ideas about this story. Even if you are getting yaoi ideas, I don't mind. It shows that this story is working if you can read it and feel that there are underlying tones.  
  
Ohh... fanart is always welcome! Please let me see it if you do some. Mediaminer has not been working for me lately, though. Hmmm... If I ever get around to doing a webpage, I'll have to post the fanarts I got. They're really good. But alas, it hasn't even gotten here yet, and my precious summer is already slipping away...  
  
To answer a few questions, I watch the subtitled anime and read the translated manga as my source of information. That's why I use the original Japanese names. That, and I like them better. ^^  
  
And on Malik's name: Some say Malik, some say Marik and it will always be that way. Translating from Japanese, his name could be either, as both are real names. BUT I use Malik because Malik is a name that is more common in Egypt area.  
  
Otogi's dub equivalent is Duke Devlin, the Dungeon Dice Monsters guy.  
  
Chances are that if you mention a fanfic, I haven't read it. ^^; With school on, I could either read or write. I didn't have time for both most of the time. Maybe I'll have more time for that over the summer. Maybe...  
  
And to the person who asked about using this story for a book talk: I don't mind. This story is certainly book-length, but I wouldn't suggest it, as this is not complete.  
  
It's my one year anniversary of writing fanfiction! Yays! *pops champagne cork*  
  
Chapter 25: The Dream  
  
..................................  
  
Ryou stared out across the empty field. Behind him was the castle, in front of him, the forest. He was supposed to be meeting Malik for some reason that he couldn't remember. But Malik was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Malik!" Ryou called once, his voice echoing against the emptiness. He received no answer. The wind was picking up now, gentle at first, but steadily getting stronger. Ryou shivered against it and wrapped his robes tighter around him; it was so cold. Though it was only early afternoon, the sky was dark and grey, as if it were about to rain. The coldness almost made Ryou suspect snow, but it was still early for that yet, wasn't it? He looked about, seeing no one, not even a student having wandered from the castle or Hagrid making his rounds. He was getting that feeling again. That bad feeling...  
  
Ryou began walking towards the forest, calling for Malik once more and again getting no response. Why wasn't Malik there? He promised he would be. Could it be that...?  
  
Ryou was brought out of his thoughts as his foot struck something on the ground. He looked down to find that something looking back up at him. He jumped back and fell, landing hard on his bottom, a small cry escaping him. It was a human skull, sickly green in color as if the flesh had only just recently rotted away from it. Ryou placed a hand on his chest and attempted to slow his breathing as he eyed the thing that had scared him so. Ryou felt as if it was staring back, grinning at him in the way only a skull can. It did not fit the image Ryou had always had of a skull. It didn't look like the ones on his Duel Monsters cards. That poisonous green color rather than a shade of white. The surface was rough and flawed rather than the semi-smoothness he had always imagined. Was it real? Was there a real human skull before him? Ryou felt deep down that it was real, but there was only one way to find out. He slowly got to his knees and crawled closer to the hideous thing. It certainly looked real, especially at this distance. He reached a trembling hand towards it, hoping that it would reveal that the skull was plastic or wood.  
  
His hand never made contact. He was mere millimeters away from brushing against the grinning bones when he heard a sound like the air being let out of a tire. He looked for the source of the sound and saw two yellow eyes staring at him from the mouth of the skull. Before Ryou could pull his hand back, the snake that had been lurking inside struck out, sinking its fangs into the flesh just above his wrist.  
  
Ryou screamed in both shock and pain. He stood up, clutching the bite with his other hand and backing up hastily. The snake hissed at him again, protruding from the mouth of the skull like a tongue. Ryou stared at it in terror. His pulse raced and sweat began to bead on his brow despite the cold. He glanced down at his injury seeing the blood start trickle down. The pain was barely present, but the feeling he was getting terrified him. He could feel the poison working up his arm, leaving a tingling feeling in its wake. He had to get help, but as he started to move towards the castle the motion became more and more difficult.  
  
It started at his hand, at the scene of the bite. Ryou suddenly became aware that he was unable to move his fingers. They weren't numb, just immobile. He could feel his own grip on them, but for the life of him couldn't even twitch his index finger. It was spreading quickly. Soon his arm hung lifelessly at his side, and it didn't stop there. Ryou feet gave out from under him as the strange effect of the bite seemed to reach his legs and they could no longer support him. He could feel himself hit the ground, but could do nothing to prevent it. His whole body had gone limp; he had no control over it whatsoever. Ryou was reminded of the stories he'd heard of victims of the puffer fish's venom, and wondered if this was the same. If it was he would certainly be dead soon.  
  
Ryou had ended up on his side in the grass. The cold wind seemed to bite at him, but he could do nothing about it. His thoughts were becoming cloudy and his head hurt. He was confused and frightened... and alone. Or was he... Yami Bakura... where was Yami Bakura? Wasn't the spirit supposed to protect his him?  
  
A shadow fell over Ryou as someone stood over him. Ryou tried to see who it was but he couldn't make his head turn to the right direction. For one fleeting moment, Ryou held the hope that this person was going to help him. That hope was soon thrashed as the mysterious person placed a blade to Ryou's throat.  
  
Ryou held his breath, one of the few things he was still able to do of his own will. He could feel the pressure of the cold metal against his bare skin. He tried desperately to make his body move, to do something, anything to fend off his attacker. But there was nothing he could do. His body would not obey.  
  
"Don't think I don't know you would be begging for your life were you able," came the low, whispered voice of the shadowed form, revealing that it knew just how helpless Ryou was. Ryou didn't recognize it, but a whisper wasn't much to go on. His brain screamed for oxygen, but he was afraid that if he released his breath, the blade would surly cut him. When it got to the point that Ryou was on the verge of passing out, the blade was removed and he could breathe freely again, though that came as little relief as the shadow spoke again.  
  
"I will let you live as long as I have use for you. You are mine..." Maniacal laughter followed. Ryou's vision began to fade out, his mind felt as if a thick fog were enveloping it. Ryou couldn't fight it. The laughter followed him as he was plunged into darkness...  
  
................................  
  
Ryou awoke with a start, sitting up in bed and breathing heavily. He was in the safety of the Gryffindor dorm. The moonlight shown through his partially open drapes; it was still early. His eyes darted down to his hands. He flexed his fingers, making sure that he was completely mobile. There was no sign of the bite from the dream. There was no freezing wind. No skull or snake. No mysterious shadow...  
  
"It's hard to sleep with such emotions emanating from your soul room, you know."  
  
Ryou jumped at the sound. His yami seemed to be sitting on the end of his bed staring off into space, his transparent image bathed in the moonlight. //S-sorry,\\ Ryou said through the mental link, not daring to speak aloud incase one of the other boys was awake. There was no fear of his yami being seen or heard. The spirit was invisible to all but Ryou when separate from him.  
  
"You don't need to apologize. It was an observation, not an accusation," Yami Bakura said, not looking at Ryou. Ryou shifted uncomfortably.  
  
//Why... why did you separate?\\ Ryou asked. //I thought you didn't like doing that.\\  
  
"I don't usually," Yami Bakura answered. "But like I said, your rather intense dream made it difficult for me to get any peace."  
  
//Oh...\\ Ryou scratched the back of his head. This was a bit awkward. //Well, it's over now. We have a few more hours until dawn and you have a duel today, so you need your sleep.\\  
  
Yami Bakura turned and faced Ryou for the first time. "Do you want to talk about it?"  
  
//The duel? I already told you that I don't mind so long as you don't go overboard-\\  
  
"No. The dream," Yami Bakura interrupted.  
  
//The dream? It was...nothing. Just a stupid nightmare. I probably ate too many sweets at supper is all.\\  
  
"Ryou, I was able to feel your reactions to it. That was no mere nightmare."  
  
//It was nothing!\\ Ryou insisted. //It was just a dream, and I'm too tired to discuss it now. Please, let's just go back to sleep okay. I-I can't even remember most of it anymore.\\ That last part was a lie, but Ryou hoped his yami would believe it. He was afraid of the conclusions the spirit would draw if he knew about the whole dream. A shadow that spoke harshly and held a blade to Ryou's throat, saying that it knew what Ryou would do, that Ryou belonged to it as long as it had need of him. And the fact that Ryou had been unable to control his body... He didn't like that so many aspects of the dream seemed to point to his yami. And if Ryou made this connection, surely the spirit would. Yami Bakura had only just started to act normal; Ryou didn't want him to get defensive again. He was sure it was just a stupid dream, although it had been rather haunting. What was that snake and skull about anyway?  
  
Yami Bakura looked at his host, trying to judge his expression. Even though he was the one who was transparent, it was Ryou that was seen right through. There was no question in Yami Bakura's mind that Ryou remembered every detail of the dream, but for some reason, didn't want the spirit to know. He had his suspicions why. But confronting Ryou wouldn't accomplish anything. It was quite obvious that Ryou didn't trust him enough to tell him.  
  
"Alright. Let's just go back to sleep," Yami Bakura said. Ryou nodded in agreement. The ring glowed as Yami Bakura returned to his own soul room. Ryou covered the light with his blanket to shield it from anyone who wasn't asleep. His transparent double was gone. Ryou could feel him once more at the back of his mind, which oddly enough brought him comfort. He hoped that it was this feeling that his yami would pick up on rather than the fear left by the dream.  
  
Ryou lay back down and pulled the covers up around his neck, turning onto his side and curling up into a comfortable position. Soon, he was asleep again.  
  
Yami Bakura debated with himself. He wanted to know what that dream had been about. Dreams were not to be ignored; they were valuable clues. But...If Ryou didn't trust him enough to tell what the dream was about, then how would he feel if Yami Bakura pried anyway? They both knew that the spirit was more than capable of finding out anything that Ryou's mind held.  
  
Yami Bakura didn't want to jeopardize the trust between him and Ryou. But it might be in all of their best interests if he knew about the dream so that he could interpret it. What if it was a warning of danger? Certainly Ryou would understand that...wouldn't he? But maybe he should let Ryou be the judge of whether the dream was important or not; give him a little credit. Oh, but Ryou was so naïve, he wouldn't know a potential threat if it spat in his face. Oh, what to do?  
  
This business of having a conscience was really complicating matters. He had to do something to put his mind at ease. He quietly emerged from the ring once again and stood beside the bed.  
  
"Ryou?" Yami Bakura whispered to his sleeping host.  
  
"Hmm?" Ryou mumbled aloud without really waking up.  
  
"You'd tell me if something were really wrong, right? You'd tell me if something had you worried, no matter what it was?"  
  
"Mm, hmm," the boy responded in his sleep.  
  
The ancient spirit looked down at the peaceful form, all curled up like a cat. The covers rose and fell with Ryou's steady breaths. He showed no signs of once more suffering through a nightmare. Yami Bakura sighed.  
  
"I guess that's all I need to know..."  
  
....................................  
  
"Good morning all!" Malik said cheerfully as he sat down to breakfast on the morning of the Hogsmeade trip. "Did everyone have a lovely sleep?"  
  
"What's got you in such a good mood?" Yugi asked. "I thought you weren't a morning person."  
  
"I'm not," Malik replied. "But I come baring good news."  
  
"Yeah?" Ron asked through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. "What's that?"  
  
Malik grinned. "Malfoy has detention today. He's not going to Hogsmeade."  
  
"That's good timing," Yugi said. "We won't have to worry about him messing up the duel. I was worried that he was going to end up following us again and blowing our plans."  
  
"Well, you needn't worry about that anymore," Malik said smiling broadly. "Nothing's going to go wrong with Malfoy out of the way."  
  
"Famous last words," mumbled Hermione. She still didn't like the idea of taking such a risk just to play a game. And she found the idea of playing such a dangerous game to be appalling.  
  
"Just what did Malfoy do to get detention?" Ryou asked suspiciously, giving Malik a look.  
  
Malik put on an innocent face. "He tripped me and threatened me right next to McGonagall. Then he denied it, saying he didn't do anything. She was true to her word and gave him a detention for continuing the fighting after she told us to stop."  
  
"And you did nothing?" Ryou said accusingly, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"I saw McGonagall standing there. I wasn't going get myself in trouble."  
  
"But Malfoy didn't notice the Professor?" questioned Ryou. "I would think he would be smart enough not to get caught for something as small as tripping you."  
  
"I thought that, too," Malik replied with a shrug and a grin. "Guess I was wrong."  
  
"And I'm sure you were completely innocent," Ryou pressed. "You had no influence over anything that happened, right?"  
  
Malik smirked. "I was just walking past, hands in my pockets, minding my own business."  
  
Yugi and Ryou weren't fooled. There was no doubt in their mind that it was more than a lucky coincidence that Malfoy got a detention on the day that he could have gotten them all in deep trouble. But it was convenient nonetheless, and it wasn't like Malfoy didn't deserve it. It could be considered revenge for the language charm.  
  
"Are you guys STILL eating?"  
  
Fred and George walked up to the Gryffindor fifth years and adopted Slytherin, looking a little impatient. The twins had been informed of the day's plans and they couldn't think of a better way to spend their Hogsmeade weekend. But they also insisted on being in charge of organizing it and nobody argued with them. Who knew better about how to break about a million school rules and not get caught than the Weasly twins?  
  
"What are you talking about?" Harry asked. "It's still early and we just got here. The post owls haven't even passed yet."  
  
"We want to get an early start," said George. "And you guys still have to get your brooms and any other supplies you may need."  
  
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Ron asked his brothers. "What's your plan?"  
  
The twins leaned in, gesturing for the others to do the same. "We have to make sure that we're seen in Hogsmeade before we take off. Separately, so that no one will notice if we all disappear at once. Whitey and Harry, you too will have to be seen at the Quidditch supply store so it won't look suspicious if you're carrying your brooms around. We'll be doing the same. The story is we brought them to get checked out before the Quidditch games start. Got it?" Ryou and Harry nodded.  
  
"The rest of you be sure to be seen around town. Go to high traffic areas like Zonko's and The Three Broomsticks."  
  
"Why all the trouble?" Hermione asked. "I mean, why don't we just head straight off and get this over with?"  
  
The twins gave exasperated sighs. "As smart as you are, Hermione, you don't know anything when it comes to rule-breaking," said Fred. "Look, which is more suspicious, us being seen all around Hogsmeade or us not being seen at all? People won't be as quick to assume that we're up to trouble if they just saw us acting normal."  
  
Hermione pouted. "This is never going to work. I should avoid the risk all together and stay at school."  
  
But everyone knew she was going to go.  
  
The post owls flew in as they did every morning, dropping off packages and letters as they swooped down. Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet newspaper landed in her lap as the delivery owl flew overhead. She started to unfold the paper when Fred stopped her with a gesture.  
  
"No time," he said. "We've all got to go get our stuff."  
  
"Well, I don't have anything I need to bring," Hermione defended.  
  
"Just come on Hermione," Ron said, standing up. "Let's get going."  
  
Hermione huffed but stood as well. She was going against her better judgment and even she didn't understand why. She supposed it was just something that friends did. Maybe she would be able to keep them out of some trouble.  
  
.................................  
  
"Yuck!" Yugi exclaimed, making a face as he eyed the rows of candies for exotic tastes in the Honeydukes sweet shop of Hogsmeade. "What on earth eats something called a cockroach cluster?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Harry answered, quite understanding Yugi's reaction. "Hags, maybe. Or goblins."  
  
"Yuck," Yugi repeated, pursing his lips together and wrinkling his nose in disgust. He turned away, the mental image of one of the goblins he'd seen at Gringotts Bank chomping on one of the cockroach clusters caused him to shiver and he looked about for something to take his mind off of it. He turned down the next aisle and soon busied himself with examining the sweets that didn't look like they would make his stomach turn. Harry followed him, not wanting to stay in that section of the store himself either. Ryou, the third and last member of their group lingered behind, still examining a small section of the exotic candies. He, Harry, and Yugi were supposed to stick together until noon. That's when they were going to meet the others on the hill and start towards the clearing where they were to have the duel. Ron and Hermione made up another group, and Malik was with the Weasly twins (who were teaching him the wonders of Zonko's joke shop and were astonished when he found the pranks there to be "too tame").  
  
The white-haired teen's nose was barely two inches away from a display of what looked deceptively like ordinary cherry lollipops. His narrowed eyes stared at them with morbid fascination.  
  
//Don't even think about it.\\  
  
//I'm just looking,\\ Yami Bakura defended. //I'm not actually planning on buying any.\\  
  
//You'd better not be considering stealing any, either,\\ Ryou replied.  
  
//I wonder how real they taste...\\ Yami Bakura teased, seemingly ignoring his host. Ryou gagged.  
  
//Come on, give me back control,\\ he pleaded. //I want to go see if they have any cream puffs.\\  
  
Yami Bakura sighed inwardly. //Oh, alright,\\ he said, giving in. He'd be in control again soon enough anyway. Ryou blinked as his body became his again.  
  
"Bakura, why are you still hanging around in that aisle?" Yugi called. "That stuff's gross. Come on over here and check these sweets out."  
  
'Gladly,' Ryou thought, walking away. He was eager to leave that section behind. He didn't think his yami was really that deranged (he was only teasing, right?), but better safe than sorry. Rare steak was one thing, but Blood Pops? Ick...  
  
Noon soon rolled around. By that time, the various groups had been seen all over the town of Hogsmeade, including at the Quidditch shop, the post office owlery, and The Three Broomsticks tavern (where Yami Bakura made another appearance hoping to get some liquor only to denied all but the weakest of their beverages). They all began towards the hill from different directions. Any who saw them assumed they were going towards the Shrieking Shack, which was also in that area.  
  
They met at the base of the hill. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all been there before. Sirius had hidden in a cave near there the previous year and they had come to see him. Having that past success in sneaking out of Hogsmeade didn't exactly make them any less nervous, though.  
  
"So, how are we going to do this?" Ron whispered to his brothers when they had all gathered around.  
  
"We're gonna walk around the hill," Fred replied. "The Shrieking Shack will block us from view. Once we're over there, we take off, keeping fairly low so as not to be seen. We should reach the clearing in what, ten, twenty minutes?"  
  
"Sounds right," George agreed. "Whitey, do you think you can handle someone else on your broom? It's the same as regular flight, you just have to adjust to the added weight."  
  
"I guess so," Ryou said uncertainly.  
  
"Alright," George nodded. "Ron, you come with me; Malik, go with Fred; Hermione, you're with Harry; and since you're the lightest, you go with Whitey, Yugi."  
  
"I certainly hope this hologram thing will be worth all this risk," Hermione said. "I hate to think that we chance getting expelled just for a simple illusion."  
  
"Don't worry," Yugi assured, switching the weight of the backpack containing his duel disk to the other shoulder and smiling. "You won't be disappointed."  
  
"I know I'm looking forward to it," George said with a grin. He turned to Ron. "Can you imagine how Dad would react to something like this? He'd flip at the opportunity to see some advanced muggle technology. Heck, if batteries and plugs keep him entertained, what wouldn't he do to see an invention that makes playing cards look like they're alive."  
  
"Mum wouldn't like it though," Ron replied with a laugh. "Dad would end up wanting one and then bewitching it so that it REALLY brings the cards to life!"  
  
They all laughed, Yugi, Ryou, and Malik a little more nervously than the rest of them.  
  
.................................  
  
R&R! 


	26. The Duel that’s right, THE DUEL!

Yeah...so I was stalling for the duel, SUE ME! Just remember who my lawyer is. *points to Malik who smirks and displays the millennium rod* As I've mentioned before, the cards are not my favorite part and it's hard as hell to write a story with them. That and I always found them boring to read. Plus I've been trying desperately to get a one-shot together for Chibizoo's contest while trying to avoid cliché themes. 'Tis haaaaaaard!  
  
Love the fanart, KeMu! Thanksomuch! ^^ Anyone who wants to see a wonderful doujinshi from the days of "Millennium Switch" please check the recent reviews for that story for the address.  
  
I will not make this story officially yaoi, so don't worry those of you who don't care for it. I might throw in some fluff here and there, but that's it. I just don't mind if some yaoi fangirls decide to take the story that way, the way they do with the real series.  
  
I get manga translations and summaries from Jenniyah's site and from the yugioh.esmartkid page. I buy the subtitled anime from e-bay and from discountanimedvd.com.  
  
The tauk is the necklace that can gaze into the future and past that Isis had and Yugi now has. What Shadi has is the ankh (or key) and the scales.  
  
I ordered the 5th Harry Potter book, but I've decided not to read it until after this story. Otherwise it will screw me up BIG TIME.  
  
Okay, school's out for me. So how often will I update? Give me a break people, I'm human. It's supposed to my summer vacation. 3000-5000 words a week is a lot, school or no school. Fellow writers understand that, I think. BUT, that is all beside the point. I will update as often as I can, AT LEAST once a weak, hopefully. Maybe more if inspiration decides to shine on me and my muses/lawyer, secretary and bodyguards stop goofing off around the pool (for some reason, I don't wanna stop them...mmm...Speedos...).  
  
Reminder: Fanfiction.net killed my usual method of indicating mind speech, so from now on Yami/Hikari mental conversations are indicated by // \\.  
  
I'll be following the card rules of the anime, because more people have seen that than the manga. I'm also for the most part using the Japanese card names (when I could remember them).  
  
This chapter was a little late, but that was because I wanted to get the whole duel in, so it's longer (probably should have split it up, but oh well). Besides, I figured you all would want to tar and feather me if I left it in the middle of the duel... ^^  
  
Chapter 26: The Duel (that's right, THE DUEL!!!)  
  
...................................  
  
They couldn't have found a more perfect spot for the duel to take place. A few hills kept them out of sight of Hogsmeade. A rough uphill climb and miles of uninhabited landscape insured that no one was going to be sneaking up on them from the other side. Yugi set his backpack down and opened it, reaching inside to test the duel disk. He crossed his fingers and switched it on. The lights snapped on and the tiny motors whirled, signifying that it was warming up. It worked. No problem. Yugi flashed everyone a thumbs up, grinning. So far, so good.  
  
Yugi could already feel his other's cool confidence and anticipation. Yami mentally went over his past duels with Yami Bakura. Both had been heated matches that Yami had won by one card. But that didn't discourage him. All his best matches were the really close ones. What fun was it to duel if you always won in a few turns?  
  
Yami knew that Yami Bakura's strategy focused on occult cards. Dark Necrophia and Ghost Duke were likely to show up as well as the hoards of horrific magic and trap cards that the tomb robber was so fond of. Yami knew he would probably rely on his De-spell and Dust Tornado cards to rid himself of those dangerous traps. At least they would not catch him by surprise.  
  
As Yami continued going over his strategies one last time, Yugi pulled the duel disk out of his bag, revealing it for the first time to the Hogwarts crew.  
  
"That's the hologram machine?" Hermione questioned. "It seems kinda small."  
  
"This is it, trust me," Yugi replied, slipping the contraption onto his arm. He glanced at Ryou. "Are you all ready, Bakura?"  
  
Ryou nodded without saying anything and nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. This all seemed too easy to him. One would have thought they would have had at least a little trouble getting this far. But they hadn't had any. Even flying with the added weight of Yugi to get there had been easy. Ryou couldn't help but think that they were only temporarily escaping trouble, that it would eventually catch up to them and probably sooner than he would like.  
  
"As the only one not dueling who knows the rules, I guess that makes me referee," Malik said, choosing a spot to the center sidelines where he would have the best possible view. He gestured for Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins to do the same. Malik grinned broadly. "I think you're gonna like this."  
  
Yugi and Ryou took their positions opposite of each other, leaving a good bit of space between them. "Isn't that a little far apart for a card game?" Harry asked.  
  
"Just watch," Malik replied.  
  
Harry decided to do just that. Yugi and Bakura appeared normal for the time being, but Harry had a hunch that they weren't going to stay that way. The thought crossed his mind that he should tell Ron and Hermione to keep an eye out for the transformations that it seemed only he and the parties involved ever seemed to notice. But there didn't seem to be point to it. Sirius had told him to leave it alone. Then again, Sirius had also told him not to take any unnecessary risks, and low and behold what he was doing. Harry sighed as he thought of it. Why did every mystery that passed through Hogwarts have to involve him?  
  
Yugi took a deep breath. In and out. His part was done now. It was his other's turn. Yugi retreated to his soul room where he could just watch and Yami took over smirking the way he normally did when he was in "game mode".  
  
"Are you ready, Bakura?" Yami said, voice dripping with confidence as if he had already won.  
  
All at once, the nervousness and worry in Ryou's face disappeared and he smiled devilishly. "The question is... are you?"  
  
Yami answered by flinging off his robes, revealing his choice clothes underneath. A black sleeveless shirt, black slacks, and a collection of belts, each with a heavy silver buckle. The millennium puzzle was displayed prominently on his chest as it hung from its silver chain.  
  
"What a showoff..." Malik muttered, shaking his head slowly. Yami did like his dramatics.  
  
The now in control Yami Bakura slipped his own duel disk onto his arm and turned it on. He then outstretched his arm forward and the hologram projectors shot out, landing a short distance away and warming up in preparation. Yami did the same.  
  
"Wow, would Dad ever be having a field day if he were here," George exclaimed. "I almost feel guilty watching this without him."  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet," Malik commented, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back casually. "If you find this impressive, it'll be interesting to see your reactions to the next bit."  
  
"You don't seem to be all that interested," Hermione observed.  
  
"Sure, it's real amazing the first few times you see it," Malik replied, "but I've seen this so often that it's come to be expected. The holograms aren't that big a deal anymore."  
  
"So it's lost its thrill," said Hermione.  
  
"Oh, no," Malik responded. "To a duelist, the game never loses its thrill. If that ever happens, it's time to hang up your duel disk and retire."  
  
Yami and Yami Bakura eyed one another, sizing each other up. Both were strong opponents. Both excellent strategists. It would all come down to what cards showed up when.  
  
"Battle City rules?" Yami asked. Yami Bakura agreed.  
  
"First off," Yami Bakura said, "Abide by the conditions of the duel. Turn the safety settings to zero."  
  
"Of course," Yami agreed, flipping the safety switch all the way down. "It'll be your funeral."  
  
"It wouldn't be the first time," Yami Bakura muttered under his breath as he turned his own settings down. He turned to Yami again. "Now show me your three God cards so I know they aren't in your deck."  
  
"I agreed to your conditions not to use them," Yami said. "Don't you trust me?"  
  
"How would you answer that question if it were me asking it?" Yami Bakura retorted. Yami said nothing. He reached into his pockets and pulled out his spare cards. He pulled three of them out and flashed them to Yami Bakura who immediately recognized them. He'd fallen before two out of three of them, and you don't soon forget something like that.  
  
"Will that be all?" Yami said impatiently. "No matter what, the outcome of this duel is already decided."  
  
"Don't give me that talk," Yami Bakura replied, "I've had it up to here with all that destiny bull. I'm in control here."  
  
"Are you two gonna BS each other all day or is there actually going to be some dueling going on?" Malik called. Yami Bakura responded with a rude gesture. "That wasn't very nice," Malik taunted back.  
  
"Since when does Whitey have this much attitude," Fred observed. "Is this just his game face?"  
  
"Something like that," Malik replied.  
  
"It's strange," Hermione said. "I kinda noticed the attitude change when Yugi was playing chess with Ron, too. It's almost like they're different people when they get competitive." Harry sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
The two spirits inserted their decks into the duel disks, and the game began.  
  
.................................  
  
Students weren't the only ones enjoying their day off in Hogsmeade. Several of the teachers were also lingering around, The Three Broomsticks being their hangout of choice. Hagrid was already enjoying his third drink when the other teachers arrived and he greeted them warmly.  
  
"'Allo all!" said the rosy-cheeked giant. "Great day isn't it? Wonderful weather after all that blasted rain of last week."  
  
"I agree," replied Professor Sprout. "My outdoor plants nearly drowned. I wasn't prepared for such an early storm."  
  
"Let's not focus on that now," said tiny little Professor Flitwick. "Let's enjoy the time off we have. I know I have plenty of work to do when we get back."  
  
"Hmm, I do as well, so why don't we have some refreshments while we have a moment of peace," Professor McGonagall agreed. She turned to the last silent member of their group. "Severus, would you care for a drink?"  
  
"I believe so," replied the potions master. "I could really use one. It's been a really rough school year so far. I swear, my students don't seem to retain anything that I teach them..."  
  
"Ah, ah," Professor Flitwick said, pointing his index finger. "No school matters. We're officially off duty. Leave the stress and chaos at the castle."  
  
"Stress and chaos follows, I'm afraid," Snape muttered.  
  
"Where is Professor White?" Hagrid asked. "I thought he was supposed to be coming."  
  
"He's around," Professor McGonagall answered. "I believe he's placing a supplies order for his class. He should be along soon."  
  
"Hmm... It's rather busy here today," Professor Sprout observed. "Perhaps one of us should go order the drinks rather than wait for someone to come to us."  
  
"I'll go," Snape said, more like a fact than an offer, almost as if it were expected of him. He took everyone's order and walked to the counter. It was busy indeed and he ended up having to wait even there. He looked about the tavern as he waited. The Three Broomsticks always had an interesting collection of characters in it. Several of the tables were occupied by his own students. But it was who he saw in one corner that caught his eye.  
  
"Dammit... Not now!" Snape said under his breath.  
  
It was his informer. The Death Eater he had been getting the details of the dark wizards actions from. But the young man was not alone. With him were two older men. There was no doubt in Snape's mind that they were also Death Eaters, but the chances that they would also not know that he was a traitor to Voldemort were slim. There would be trouble if he was seen.  
  
Snape abandoned his station at the counter and headed for the door. "I have to go," he said hurriedly to the other professors as he passed.  
  
"Oh, Severus, where are you going?" Professor Sprout called after.  
  
Snape ignored her, hoping that the Death Eaters had not noticed. Unfortunately, his informer saw him just as he exited. "That's him," the half-drunk wizard said, pointing after Snape. "He's the only Death Eater that was left here but me. Generous chap, he is. Always insisted on paying for the drinks."  
  
"That man who just left?" one of the older men asked.  
  
"That's the one," the informer replied, downing another drink. "Wish he hadn't left. I wanted to introduce 'im to you. Said he didn't know too many like us nowadays. Poor guy didn't know anything. Didn't even know about Egypt."  
  
"You were supposed to be the only left here to keep an eye on things," the other older man said. "Who else would have stayed behind? Was he a new recruit?"  
  
"I don't think he's -hic- that new," the informer answered, hiccupping. His tattoo of the dark mark didn't look fresh. Heck, mine's still red."  
  
"Perhaps we should follow him and see why he was left behind," one of the men said.  
  
"Yes," the other agreed, "It's strange that he hasn't been keeping up with business. Come along."  
  
The men stood up quietly and exited the tavern, the informer walking with a bit of a sway behind them. Peering through the crowds, they saw the tall, dark figure of their target moving swiftly away from them. They followed.  
  
.............................  
  
"GAME START!" Malik announced. Yami and Yami Bakura each drew their five cards and began. Yami Bakura was first.  
  
He drew his card and examined his hand. Not bad... He could work with this. But first to test the strength of Yugi's hand. "Place one card, face down in defense," he announced. He placed the card onto his duel disk and a holographic image of the card appeared before him.  
  
Harry and company went a slightly wide-eyed. "It's a...card," Hermione said, confused. "A big card. Very real looking, and I've never seen anything like it. But it's still a card. I thought it was supposed to be a monster."  
  
"Relax," Malik assured. "We didn't bring you all the way out here to see a big virtual card. It's in defense mode. The monster hasn't been revealed yet."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"End turn," Yami Bakura said.  
  
Yami eyed the face down card. It was no secret that Yami Bakura's monsters often had effects. It was also no secret that Yami Bakura's cards were stronger when in the grave. So what to do? He drew a card.  
  
"I summon 'Magnet Warrior Beta,'" Yami announced. "Attack mode!" He placed the card onto his duel disk. The monster materialized before him to the gasps of surprise and awe from the sidelines.  
  
"I...I can't believe it!" Ron exclaimed. "This was done by MUGGLES?!"  
  
"H-how?" Harry mumbled. "I live among muggles. Dudley is always after the latest gadget. How come I've never even heard of this before. How come I didn't know it existed. I would have thought something like this would have been all over the newspapers, the TV, the radio..."  
  
"You mean it's not?" Malik asked. "Geez, you English are behind the times."  
  
The Gryffindors were too in awe to be insulted.  
  
"'Magnet Warrior Beta', attack the covered card!" Yami ordered his monster. The metal monster lashed out at Yami Bakura's defense monster card, slicing it in half. For a moment, "The Wandering Doomed" monster that had been the card appeared before disappearing in a flash of light.  
  
"Intense!" Fred exclaimed.  
  
Yami Bakura smiled slyly, unfazed. It hadn't been an important monster that had been destroyed, so it didn't matter. He drew, and his grin widened. He eyed Yami for a moment. He had an idea, but it would only work if Yami had "that card". It was time to take a chance, something he had never had a problem with. He had a feeling. "Cover two cards," he said, placing the cards in the magic/trap slot. "And I active the magic card, 'Exchange'!"  
  
"'Exchange?!'" Yami said. What was the tomb robber up to?  
  
"According to 'Exchange', we show each other our hands, then each take one of the other's cards."  
  
"I know!" Yami shot back, annoyed. He walked to Yami Bakura and showed his hand. Yami Bakura examined it, careful not to change his expression. He bypassed "Black Magician" and plucked "Card Destruction" from Yami's hand. Yami frowned. If Yami Bakura took that card, it made little difference what card he took. Still, he examined Yami Bakura's cards. His eyes went suddenly wide. In Yami Bakura's hand was "Dark Necrophia". Then those set cards must be...  
  
Yami Bakura smirked when he saw Yami's realization. "Pick a card, any card," he mocked. "Not like it makes a difference."  
  
Yami knew he was right. But there was nothing he could do at the moment. He took one of Yami Bakura's zombie monsters, for all the good it would do. The thief was clever. Through 'Exchange' he could both take Yami's card and see if he had any cards in hand to ruin his plan, which he didn't. Yami had nothing to counteract the effects of "Card Destruction."  
  
The duelist returned to their spots. "You already know what's coming next," Yami Bakura taunted. "Activate 'Card Destruction'! All hand cards go to the grave." Yami cursed silently and discarded his hand. Both players drew again, the same number of cards they discarded. Yami Bakura laughed his low, demented laugh. It sent chills down the observers' backs.  
  
"Dark Necrophia sleeps in the grave," Yami Bakura said lowly. "The disappearance of this monster into the grave signifies the coming of darkness..."  
  
"Remind me never to play a game against Bakura," Ron mumbled.  
  
"Only if you remind me," Harry answered.  
  
"I'm sure glad he's on our team. It almost makes me feel sorry for the Slytherin Quidditch team," George muttered. "Almost."  
  
"God, the way Bakura normally is, I would never have expected to see him like this," Hermione said, barely audible. "He's usually so nice... Now he's...just scary."  
  
//Do you have to be so creepy?\\ Ryou asked from his soul room. //The others aren't going to want to be anywhere near me afterwards if you keep this up.\\  
  
//I'm dueling, dammit,\\ Yami Bakura answered, rather annoyed. //Let me do my thing. Blame it on a brief moment of insanity if you want later, heat of the moment, anything, I don't care.\\ Ryou sighed and resumed his silent view of the duel from his soul room. There was no point in talking to Yami Bakura during a game.  
  
Yami Bakura sneered fiendishly at his opponent. "Last time, I first had to send three monsters to the grave to summon 'Dark Necrophia'. Then I had to let you destroy her before I could reveal my true intentions. Thanks to your 'Card Destruction,' I can skip all that. I thank you."  
  
Yami scoffed angrily at the other spirit. "Go on, then," he said. "It won't make a difference. I'll still crush you in the end!"  
  
"Now, now, Yugi," Yami Bakura mocked. "You're starting to sound like Kaiba." Yami narrowed his eyes, but said nothing.  
  
"With 'Dark Necrophia in the grave, reveal face down card!" Yami Bakura shouted. "Field Magic card, 'Dark Sanctuary!'" Yami Bakura flipped the card and slid it into the field magic slot. Almost instantly, the sky began to fade until it was a dark crimson, like blood. The sun was completely blocked out. In the distance behind Yami Bakura seemed to appear a large black castle, dark and imposing with spiked towers and a haunting atmosphere.  
  
The Gryffindors gasped. "This...this can't be for real!" Ron exclaimed. "Technology shouldn't be able to do this!"  
  
Malik silently agreed. A field magic card shouldn't have been that impressive with the duel disk alone. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Yami Bakura was "helping" it along. It didn't really matter though. He hadn't expected it to be a duel between two dark duelists without at least a little magical intervention. But this was starting to look like Battle City all over again.  
  
Hermione shrieked in surprise as 'Dark Sanctuary' finished forming. Floating eyes and rows of wicked teeth appeared in the sky, scattered about like devilish stars. The once calm and peaceful clearing now looked like something out of a nightmare.  
  
Yami Bakura laughed again, low at first and then building to a high-pitched cackle. "Yugi!" he shouted. "'Dark Sanctuary' covers the playing field and all of its special rules are in effect! Only the second round of the duel and already you are faced with it! And this time you have no god card to save you! Hahahaha!"  
  
Yami looked about, frustrated. This was not a good way to start the duel. "Dark Sanctuary" meant that Yami Bakura could play as many as ten magic cards on the field at a time. It also meant the "Resentment Spirit" was floating around, unseen by all but Yami Bakura. It would possess one of Yami's monsters each turn. If Yami attacked with the possessed monster, the attack would be canceled and half the monster's attack power would be done directly to him...and Yami Bakura would gain the life points he lost.  
  
There was a flaw in Yami Bakura's plan, though. "Dark Sanctuary" required a monster sacrifice every turn in order for its effects to last. Since only one monster could be summoned per turn, Yami Bakura would have nothing to protect his life points and nothing to attack with. As long as Yami didn't attack, his life points were safe. Yami could wait and buy his time until one of two things happened: either he drew a magic card like "De-spell" to destroy "Dark Sanctuary," or drew "Raise Dead," to bring "Dark Necrophia" back to life, thus canceling a requirement of the field magic. But there was one big problem in this plan...  
  
It was possible that Yami Bakura would draw "Ouija Board" first... If he did, Yami would only have five turns before game over.  
  
Yami Bakura was well aware that his strategy was less likely to work this second time around. But that didn't matter. He had backup plans. 'Let Yami worry about "Dark Sanctuary." It will catch him completely off guard when I have other means to defeat him,' the spirit thought.  
  
Yami looked at his hand cards. Nothing to help him. He hoped on the draw...nothing still. He could only build up his monster forces so that he would be ready to take out Yami Bakura's life points when everything was out of his way. "Sacrifice 'Magnet Warrior Beta' to summon 'Black Magician Girl!'"  
  
The magnet monster disappeared, and in its place appeared the cheerful- looking magician girl. She spun around once and winked upon appearance.  
  
"Now THAT is a monster!" Fred exclaimed. "She almost makes up for all this creepiness that Whitey's doing."  
  
"Wow, she looks alive," Harry said in an awed whisper. "She winked at us, like she had a personality, or something... It even looks like she's breathing."  
  
Malik sighed knowingly. Yami was getting magically involved as well, giving the duel disks a bit too much life. Even Kaiba couldn't make the monsters that real. He shook his head and wondered if Yami and Yami Bakura even realized what they were doing. Probably not. It was just second nature that a duel between millennium item holders should involve magic. It was no big deal. Harry and company didn't know the difference.  
  
"'Black Magician Girl' gains three hundred attack points from the 'Black Magician' in the grave," Yami announced. "I leave her in attack mode and end my turn."  
  
It was tempting for Yami Bakura to go ahead with his second plan now, but he decided against it. Better to wait until he really needed it. There was still plenty time left.  
  
.................................  
  
The Death Eaters trailed Snape through several of the streets of Hogsmeade. Without having to look over his shoulder, Snape knew he was being followed. He sensed it. The older Death Eaters were quickly growing tired of this game of follow the leader and were getting suspicious. The man they were following seemed to be leading them into the outskirts of the town, away from the crowds.  
  
Snape took one turn after another, trying to lose his pursuers, or at the very least, lead them away from the students and innocent townspeople. He soon saw that he wasn't going to be getting away and turned in to a nearly empty side street on the edge of town. The only other living soul there was a black and scruffy-looking large stray dog.  
  
The Death Eaters finally caught up to him. He kept his back to them; normally, this was a risky position, but for him, it was more risky to let them see his front.  
  
"Why do you run?" one of the older men said. "Why do you flee from your brethren?"  
  
"Don't want to be seen in public together too much," Snape answered. "It raises suspicions if one of us would ever be found out."  
  
"That tavern was perfectly safe," said the other older man. "Wizards gather there all the time. It is of no risk, especially since we have never been seen with you before."  
  
"Forgive me if I seem a little paranoid," Snape said with a laugh that he hoped sounded good-natured. "I survived the fall of the Dark Lord, but I don't ever want to go through that again."  
  
"You sound as if you expect the Dark Lord to fall again," the Death Eater observed. "Such a statement could be considered treacherous. Our lord has killed many men for that."  
  
"I meant nothing by it," Snape said.  
  
"Well, forgive our lord if he is a little paranoid. He's had a hard decade and doesn't want to go through that again."  
  
The informer laughed drunkenly. "Come on, let's go back to the bar," he said. "He can buy us a round of drinks as an apology. He didn't mean any disrespect."  
  
"I'm afraid I must decline," Snape said. "I have business to attend to."  
  
"Your first business should be with the Death Eaters," the first man said. "We draw ever closer to obtaining the master's goal. We found many clues in Egypt that will lead us to the items."  
  
"Items?" Snape asked, forgetting his position for a moment.  
  
"Do you not even know this?" the man said. "What loyal Death Eater does not keep up with the Dark Lord's instructions?"  
  
"I question his loyalty," said the second man. Snape could feel the sweat forming on his brow. He reached into his pocket and gripped his wand.  
  
"Why do you keep your back to us?" the second man asked. "Turn around."  
  
"I really must be going-"  
  
"Turn around, or I will kill you now." Snape did not need to look to know that a wand was pointed straight at him. This was all part of the risks involved in his work for Dumbledore. He had to accept it. He turned around.  
  
"Snape!"  
  
"You have been giving Severus Snape information of the Dark Lord's plans?! You fool!!!" one Death Eater said, turning angrily to the informer.  
  
"Who?" the young man asked stupidly. "That's not what he said his name was."  
  
"Of course, you idiot, he's a spy! A traitor!"  
  
"We will deal with him later," the other Death Eater said. "Snape, I will be given a rather generous reward when I kill you."  
  
"You wouldn't be the first to try to kill me," Snape replied lowly. "If others didn't succeed, what makes you think that you will?"  
  
"Don't give me your high-and-mighty attitude!" the Death Eater shouted. "All you traitors make me sick. Your loyalty wavers with whoever happens to be in power."  
  
"I never joined the Death Eaters in the first place to follow anybody," Snape sneered. "I was young and it was expected of me. I shared a few beliefs, but that is all. I left as soon as the organization became all about following the orders of one man."  
  
"When that 'one man' becomes ruler, you will wish you hadn't said that," the other Death Eater said.  
  
"No he won't," replied the one holding the wand. "He'll never have the chance. I'm going to kill him now..."  
  
................................  
  
The duel progressed slowly with no one able to do much. Yami had added "Celtic Guardian" in attack mode and a defense mode "Kuriboh" to his arsenal. Yami Bakura had no monsters, having had to sacrifice them all. He had, however laid a face down card that Yami was cautious of and had activated his other face down card "Darkness Gate," which only allowed one of Yami's monsters to attack per turn. Yami, unable to tell which of his monsters was possessed by the "Resentment Spirit," was hesitant to attack.  
  
"My condition for the safety settings to be zero is going to go to waste if you don't make some effort to attack," Yami Bakura said. "You are so cautious that you border on dull, Yugi. You have three monsters out. Only one can be possessed. Why don't you try your luck?"  
  
"I won't fall for that," Yami retorted. "I have not forgotten our last duel. I know that your face down card is probably the spirit that switches my attack to whatever monster is possessed. I don't fall for the same tricks twice, Bakura."  
  
Yami Bakura sighed and shrugged. "It seems we are both waiting on certain cards. Can we do nothing but wait and see who gets it first? Even your monsters are getting bored." Yami Bakura pointed to Yami's "Kuriboh" which appeared to be snoozing. Yami gave the sleeping monster a look that was ignored.  
  
"Just remember, Yugi," Yami Bakura said. "If I get 'that card' first, you'll have only five turns to defeat me." The tomb robber held up five fingers as he said this. "Can you do it?"  
  
"I have before," Yami answered.  
  
"Yes, but that factor has been eliminated," Yami Bakura replied with a devilish grin that showed off his sharp canines.  
  
Yami grit his teeth. There was truth in what the other spirit said. He had to do something soon. Their life points were still unchanged at 4000. He could afford to take the damage if he guessed wrong. At least he would get that trap card out of the way. Yami thought for a moment. In their last duel, Yami Bakura had possessed the strongest monster most often. He would probably do so again. Which meant that Yami would have to step into the trap.  
  
"'Celtic Guardian'! Direct attack!!!" Yami shouted. The monster charged forward, holding his sword high. Yami waited for Yami Bakura to reveal the face down card. Waited...  
  
The monster slashed at Yami Bakura. The ancient spirit howled in pain and fell to his knees, gasping for breath.  
  
"Oh, my God!" Hermione gasped from the sidelines. "Is he really hurt?!"  
  
"Oy, Whitey, are you alright?" George called.  
  
"He'll be fine," Malik assured. "This was his condition remember? It's what he wants."  
  
"What...what happened?" Yami said, astonished. Then the face down card was not what he expected.  
  
"It seems...you guess right," Yami Bakura said between breaths, standing slowly. "My life points are brought down to 2600." He clutched his shoulder where he had been struck. There was no visible wound, but it had hurt like the real thing. The combination of the low safety settings and magic involvement was a force to be reckoned with. But Yami Bakura laughed in spite of this. "My bluff had you going for a while, though," he commented. "It served its purpose."  
  
'A bluff? Surely that wasn't all that the covered card was for,' Yami thought. Why would Yami Bakura provoke him if he had no defense?  
  
"My turn," Yami Bakura said. He drew and grinned. "Summon 'Headless Knight'" He placed the card onto his duel disk and the monster appeared as if it were slowly walking out of a fog.  
  
"Why does he use such scary cards?" Hermione asked, recoiling slightly from Bakura's monster.  
  
"Never mind what it looks like, Hermione," Ron said.  
  
"You're getting into this aren't you?" she accused.  
  
"Can't say I disagree with him," George said. "This is so cool!"  
  
"Does that mean you guys are going to be wanting to play against them next?" Hermione asked sarcastically.  
  
"Not for all the Galleons in Gringotts," Ron replied. "It's fun to watch, but you'd never see me going against these hardcore gamers. They almost make the Triwizard Tournament look like a joke."  
  
"Easy for you to say," Harry remarked.  
  
"It was worth coming out here," Fred exclaimed. "I can't wait to see who wins!"  
  
Malik scoffed. "Yugi is called 'The King of Games' for a reason, you know. Bakura's good, but Yugi's going to win."  
  
"I think I'll have to side with Whitey," Fred argued. "I like going for the underdog. I think he'll pull it out in the end. It's still early, right?"  
  
Malik smiled and narrowed his eyes slightly. "Care to make a wager?"  
  
"You're on," Fred agreed, holding out his hand. "Five Galleons?"  
  
Malik took his hand and shook it. "Deal." He snickered. 'Sucker,' he thought.  
  
Yugi wasn't worried about Yami Bakura's monster. He had to sacrifice it to keep "Dark Sanctuary" going. What he was concerned about was the face down card. His mind struggled to recall their last duel. What other cards did Yami Bakura have? It wouldn't be "Ouija Board" or he would have activated it already. What was his plan...?  
  
Yami Bakura stared coldly at his opponent. "You draw first blood, but it will be me to give the final strike."  
  
"Enough talk," Yami said. "Your move."  
  
"As you wish," Yami Bakura said. "Magic card, 'Cross Sacrifice!'"  
  
"Cross Sacrifice?!"  
  
"That's right. I'm sacrificing your 'Celtic Guardian' to 'Dark Sanctuary!'" Yami Bakura proclaimed with a laugh. He played the card. Darkness swirled beneath Yami's monster and black hands reached up from it, grabbing the "Celtic Guardian" and pulling it downward. Yami was now short one monster.  
  
//Why?\\ Yugi asked from his soul room. //Why "Celtic Guardian" and not "Black Magician Girl?" His monster is stronger than "Celtic Guardian." It could have defeated it.\\  
  
//He wants to force me to attack,\\ Yami answered. //The "Resentment Spirit" is more powerful when used on a stronger monster.\\  
  
//It must be more that that,\\ Yugi said. //He should know you won't attack with a monster that you know is possessed.\\  
  
//I know...\\ Yami answered simply.  
  
"The condition of 'Cross Sacrifice' is that I must skip attacking," Yami Bakura announced. "But, of course, you can still attack."  
  
"Nice try," Yami said, drawing a card. "But two can play at that game. I activate 'Brain Control!'" Yami Bakura's eyes went slightly wide. "I take control of your 'Headless Knight!'" The magic card appeared and reached out and grabbed Yami Bakura's monster. "And I sacrifice it to bring forth 'Summoned Skull,' attack mode!" "Headless Knight" disappeared, replaced by the impressive demon. Yami Bakura sneered angrily in response.  
  
"'Summoned Skull', direct attack!" Yami ordered. The demon made a move to attack, but then suddenly hesitated.  
  
"Spirit Burn!!!" Yami Bakura announced. The "Resentment Spirit" emerged from the back of "Summoned Skull" and attacked the off-guard Yami inflicting 1250 points of directed damage. Yami screamed in surprise and pain but managed to stay on his feet. The attack had felt like his very soul was on fire.  
  
"Ah, what now, Yugi?" Yami Bakura gloated. "Did you forget that my spirit can possess newly summoned monsters as well? Your failed attack brings my life points up to 3850. So tell me, how do you like the conditions of my duel? Hahahaha!"  
  
"End turn," Yami almost growled.  
  
"Draw!" Yami Bakura announced. "Sacrifice 'Haunted Painting' to 'Dark Sanctuary.' And turn about is fair play, Yugi."  
  
"Since when do you care about fair play?" Yami taunted. The other spirit ignored him.  
  
"First, I play 'Pot of Greed.' Draw two cards. Ah! And they're good ones, too! You have your 'Brain Control,' I have this! Activate 'Change of Heart!'"  
  
//What!\\ Yugi exclaimed from his soul room. //Why does he have-?\\  
  
//This is BOTH Bakuras' deck,\\ Yami answered simply. He was frustrated beyond belief. The "Change of Heart" card appeared and Yugi's monster switched sides.  
  
"I'll take control of that 'Summoned Skull,'" Yami Bakura said confidently. "Now I could destroy your magician girl, but I don't like the idea of giving this monster back to you next turn in full working condition. So I play this card, 'Ectoplasm!' Take half of 'Summoned Skull's attack and inflict it as direct damage. That means another 1250 damage, Yugi! Go, 'Ectoplasm!!!'" Upon activation, the demon monster's attack decreased by half and a ghostly form flowed from it...straight at Yugi.  
  
This time, the former pharaoh could not keep standing. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards. He landed hard on the ground, the wind knocked out of him.  
  
"Hahahahaha!" Yami Bakura laughed. "Don't worry Yugi. You can have your monster back, and his measly 1250 remaining attack points. Meanwhile, your life points are down to 1500. Can you stand another attack, Yugi? Do you dare try to attack me? Hahahahaha!!!"  
  
Yami bit his lip as he stood again, still trying to catch his breath. Things were not looking good. His "Summoned Skull" was now severely weakened and either it or his "Black Magician Girl" was possessed by Yami Bakura's spirit. He could survive another attack, but barely, and only if his opponent didn't pull any other tricks out of his sleave.  
  
"I admit, luck has been on your side today, Bakura," Yami said quietly.  
  
"Luck and fate has nothing to do with it," Yami Bakura replied, dismissing Yami's statement with a wave of his hand. "This just proves that you would have never beaten me in the past were it not for the little things that got in my way."  
  
"The game is not over," Yami said, glaring at the Tomb Robber.  
  
"Oh, planning on gambling it, are you?" Yami Bakura mocked.  
  
"All I can do it rely on my deck and draw," Yami answered.  
  
"You do that far too often," Yami Bakura retorted. "It's becoming cliché this 'trust in the cards' crap. Give it a rest, aw!" But Yami Bakura's complaints were falling on deaf ears.  
  
"Draw!"  
  
....................................  
  
Two wands were pointed dangerously at Professor Snape. His hand was gripped around his own, but he would never have time to draw it. This didn't look good.  
  
"And now, traitor," the closest Death Eater sneered. "You die." Snape took a step backwards in reflex, but it would do him no good to run. It was just as well. He wasn't a man to run. He took a deep breath and prepared to accept the inevitable.  
  
"Avada Keda-" But the Death Eater never got a chance to finish his spell. He was too busy screaming and clutching his bloody hand.  
  
Like lightning, Snape's wand was out and he was shouting a disarming spell and the other Death Eater effectively ridding him of his wand which flew into a patch of weeds on the roadside..  
  
Beside him, Snape's surprise accomplice kept the other two Death Eaters at bay, baring sharp teeth around the wand it had just snatched, black furry tail high in the air.  
  
"Don't move," Snape warned dangerously, "or my companion here will gladly taste your blood." The scruffy black stray growled in agreement.  
  
"Traitors and dogs," the injured Death Eater sneered. "At least you are in the same class."  
  
"Silence!" Snape bellowed. "I will give you only one chance to save your lives." The three Death Eaters eyed Snape but remained silent. "Tell me what it is you master is after. What items?"  
  
"We will never tell you anything," the injured Death Eater said defiantly.  
  
"Then you die," Snape said, raising his wand.  
  
"Wait!" the young drunkard shouted. "He doesn't speak for me! I'll tell you what I know. Please spare my life! Remember the good talks we had in the tavern?! Please spare me! They're...they're looking for these magical items from Egypt! They just told me. There're seven of them, total. The Mill-"  
  
"Foul Traitor!" the injured Death Eater bellowed, lashing out at his younger companion. Snape pointed his wand and began on a stunning spell but was unable to complete it. The other Death Eater had thrown a handful of dirt from the road into Snape's eyes. The potions master yelled. His opponent had effectively blinded him as well as inflicted a great deal of pain. Snape couldn't see where to point his wand.  
  
The elder Death Eaters made a mad dash for the wand that had been flung away by the disarming spell while the younger one stood dumbly by. The dog yelped in alarm. It dropped the wand from its mouth and took Snape's hand firmly in its teeth, attempting to lead him away. Snape fought at first, but being unable to see realized that he would be at the Death Eaters' mercy if he stayed. He reluctantly allowed the dog to lead him safely away while the Death Eaters scrambled for the discarded wand.  
  
"YOU!!!" the injured Death Eater yelled at his younger accomplice. "You gave the enemy information of our actions! Traitor!"  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the young man pleaded. "I didn't want to die!"  
  
"What do you think will happen when the Dark Lord finds out about what you have done!"  
  
The young drunkard could only repeat over and over again that he was sorry. The uninjured older man, wand now in hand, stood before him. "You are lucky, though," he said. "You will be spared the Dark Lord's wrath."  
  
The young man looked up, hope in his eyes. "I...I will? Oh...oh thank you! Thank heavens! I-"  
  
The young man's hopes were instantly thrashed as the older man's wand was pointed between his eyes. "No...please no..." he cried.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!"  
  
There was a flash of green light, and the young Death Eater fell down, dead. His killer walked slowly up to his body and fished through the pockets, taking out the young man's wand. He pointed it to the sky above.  
  
"MORSMORDRE!"  
  
Now, a green light fired from the wand and erupted into the sky. Screams were heard throughout Hogsmeade as the spell was recognized. Quickly and quietly, the two remaining Death Eaters made off out of town, and as soon as they were far enough, apparated safely away.  
  
....................................  
  
"Draw!" Yami announced. He glanced at his new card and smiled. "Time to end this 'Dark Sanctuary' nonsense." Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes curiously. "The card I have drawn, Bakura, is 'Raise Dead'."  
  
"You're going to bring back 'Dark Necrophia,'" Yami Bakura replied lowly, unsurprised. He had expected this.  
  
"Correct," said Yami. He played the magic card and "Dark Necrophia" rose from the grave, resulting in the disappearance of "Dark Sanctuary."  
  
"Now that I have no 'Resentment Spirit' to worry about, I can attack you without hesitation," Yami said. "And I think it would be fitting if I used your own monster! 'Dark Necrophia! Direct attack!"  
  
The monster lashed out at her former master. Yami Bakura's eyes went wide and his howls rang out with the pain and force of the attack. Again, no physical wounds, but he was spiritually spent. And as soon as the attack was over, he laughed.  
  
"I think Bakura has officially lost it," Ron observed. "He gets attacked, he gets hurt, and then he LAUGHS."  
  
"It's a psychological trick," Malik said. "Laugh, and everything seems to be better than it really is. Not to mention it's a good intimidation tool."  
  
"He looks insane," Harry said, making a face.  
  
"Yeah, that too," Malik agreed, leaning back and looking skyward. His expression changed when something caught his attention.  
  
"My life points may be down to 1650, but remember when I said turn about was fair play, Yugi?" said Yami Bakura. Yami nodded. "Well that still applies. Reveal face down card! Raise Dead!"  
  
"Raise Dead?!" Yami said, slightly confused. But what was he going to...? Yami's confusion was answered when his own "Black Magician" appeared from the grave on Yami Bakura's side of the field.  
  
"You have my monster, I have yours. Isn't that fair?" Yami Bakura said in a mocking tone. He ran his tongue over his teeth as if already savoring the victory. "Of course, 'Black Magician' is stronger in attack power. I need only destroy 'Dark Necrophia' and my 'Dark Sanctuary' will be restored! And with this monster back on the field, your 'Black Magician Girl' loses her extra three hundred attack points! Hahahaha! Are you ready, Yugi?!"  
  
"Time out!" Malik yelled.  
  
"What?!" Yami Bakura and Yami said together. Malik jogged out to their playing field, specifically to Yami Bakura's side.  
  
"Hey, Malik! What are you doing?" Harry called.  
  
"We want to see the end! What's the holdup?" Fred added.  
  
"This better be good, Malik," Yami Bakura said angrily. Malik was interrupting his moment.  
  
Malik leaned in and whispered, "I think you left something out."  
  
"What?" Yami Bakura said.  
  
Malik thumbed over his shoulder at the sky behind him. "Shouldn't that have disappeared with 'Dark Sanctuary?'"  
  
Yami Bakura looked in the direction Malik indicated and cocked an eyebrow in slight puzzlement. "It's not one of mine," he said, confused. All of a sudden, he felt an icy cold emanating from Ryou's soul room. His host had abruptly become very upset.  
  
//What is it, Ryou?// Yami Bakura got no answer.  
  
"What's going on," Yami said, walking over from his side. Malik nodded his head at the source of the disruption.  
  
"Did you do that?"  
  
Yami looked curiously at the sky and shook his head. It wasn't him.  
  
"Oy! What's up?!" Ron shouted.  
  
Malik shrugged. "I guess this is wizard thing," he said. "Do you guys have any idea what that is?" Malik pointed skyward, towards Hogsmeade. The Gryffindors blinked, turned to look, and gasped. In the sky was a collection of what looked like green stars in the shape of a skull with a snake for a tongue.  
  
"The...the Dark Mark! Oh, my God!" Hermione yelled, covering her mouth in shock.  
  
"Oh, that can't be a good thing," Malik muttered. "Looks like the duel's going to be called on account of creepy constellation."  
  
"Dammit, why does something always have to go wrong during my duels!" Yami Bakura yelled. "Where in the rulebook does it say that I can't ever win!"  
  
"Right next to where it says I can't ever lose," Yami replied with a slight smirk.  
  
They joked for the time being. None of the new students had any idea of the true seriousness of the situation.  
  
...................................  
  
There! Longest chapter yet! Stayed up 'til 1:30! 8000 freakin' words and over 20 pages! (really should have split it up ^^;) Don't expect another one this long anytime soon. White Angel needs a nap now... Secretary Ryou fell asleep making my coffee and Yami Bakura, Malik, and Yami Malik are hungover after raiding my liquor cabinet... Good help is so hard to find these days. ^^ 


	27. Back to Hogwarts

Okay, I skipped an update or two and left a big ole cliffhanger. I'm sorry; been busy. Relatives and then being in hotel room for a week, suffering from the worst writer's block of my life. And the rain's been keeping me off the computer and a damn racoon ate my cat! (I'm serious here, poor little baby... *cries*) In other words, this month has been Hell. All my writing time was spent working on my contest fic, which is finally done and I may post it once I get it checked and Zoo-chan gives the okay. It's called "Control Freak" so keep your eyes out for it. *sigh* so much work... But when you really think about it, last chapter was, like, two in one (or could have been), and when you figure in "Control Freak" as a weekly update... so in a way, you weren't missing anything. There was just a bit of a gap in there. (heh, heh...do I get away with that? No, I didn't think so... ^^)  
  
Thanks to LariaKaiba for the wonderful fanart from "Mutilation!" I loved it. Thanksomuch! ^^  
  
My Gawd, I can't believe somebody printed this whole thing out. Even *I* didn't do that. That must have been like a hundred pages. My love goes to you DragonMaiden, and my pity goes to your printer.  
  
My Harry Potter book has come in and it is calling to me. Must resist urge to read... I'll never end up waiting until I'm done with this story. It's just too long. The sixth book'll be out by the time I'm done at this rate. Odds are by the time you read this, I'll already have my nose buried in the evil book five.  
  
If anyone knows of an online cosplay shop that sells the duel disks for costumes, that would be appreciated. They would be really nice to have for my convention in the winter.  
  
FF.net seems to be having a lot of problems with reviews lately. If you asked a question that wasn't answered, chances are your review never made it to me. Also it is exaggerating my review count for this story by about forty, so ignore it.  
  
Now, I would like to take a moment to advertise (not for myself!). A good friend of mine is starting a web business that anime fans should look into. She creates custom artwork for sale, such as plushies, keychains, etc. She can do anime characters as well as originals, so those of you with some dough burning a hole in your pocket, check her site out. She's really talented. FF.net is evil and won't let me put the address here, so if interested, check it out in my bio.  
  
Chapter 27: Back to Hogwarts .....................................  
  
Snape was led to the empty back allies of Hogsmeade by his canine accomplice. He'd managed to get most of the dirt out of his eyes with his free hand and as soon as he saw it was clear, he broke angrily away from the dog's grip. "Useless animal," he muttered. "Look, you even got your slobber all over me. Disgusting!" He wiped the bit drool off with a handkerchief from his pocket. The dog tilted its head in offense. "Well, get out of that shape," Snape said. "You're of no use like that."  
  
The dog began to grow and change. Soon the form of the stray was gone, replaced with that of Sirius. His true form.  
  
"What, not even a thank you?" Sirius accused.  
  
"You would have been a lot more useful if you had been both human and equipped with your wand." Snape said. "What were you planning to do as a dog, bite them to death?"  
  
"You never change, Severus," Sirius said as Snape looked him over.  
  
"Your disguise potion has worn off," Snape observed.  
  
"Why do you think I was walking around as a dog?" Sirius said with a hint of anger. "The last thing I need is for there to be a Sirius Black sighting in Hogsmeade. That idiot Fudge would bring in the Dementors and anything else he thought was necessary to catch me. And eventually, they would trace it all back to the school and then Dumbledore'll be in the hot seat. Not to mention they would probably blame that mess back there on me as well. It wouldn't take much for the Death Eaters in power to change that into Peter Pettigrew all over again."  
  
"What do you mean?" Snape asked.  
  
Sirius pointed skyward. Snape looked in the indicated direction. His expression didn't change. "They killed the informer."  
  
"Right," Sirius agreed. "As a dog, I was easily able to hear it. They're getting cocky, those Death Eaters. Three years ago, none of them would have dared to send up the Dark Mark. Voldemort must have gotten much stronger."  
  
"Indeed," Snape said. "I was so close to finding out what they were after. Damn, self-righteous idiots..."  
  
Sirius had a thoughtful look on his face. "Don't worry about it," he said. "I'll talk with Dumbledore later. We might be able salvage something out of this." Sirius had a sneaking suspicious that he knew what was going on, but he didn't want to let Snape in on any of it until he had confirmed it with Dumbledore. "Meanwhile, you probably should go help round up the students and get them all back to the castle. The other teachers are probably already on it. The officials are going to want to clear the streets and start a full-fledged investigation. And I need to make sure I'm nowhere to be seen when they get here. I can stick around as a dog and see what happens."  
  
"Very well," Snape said reluctantly. He didn't like followings Sirius's directions. He began to head off, but Sirius stopped him.  
  
"Make sure those transfer students get back alright," Sirius said. "And please keep an eye out for Harry, too."  
  
"I have my own students to look out for," Snape replied. "Only one of those students is my responsibility. Minerva will handle the others." With that Snape left. Sirius sighed heavily. Snape was such a stubborn man. But it shouldn't be a big problem. The Death Eaters wouldn't dare try anything with every official in the area swarming the town. Even if what Sirius suspected was true, the transfers should be safe. At least as long as they were where they were supposed to be.  
  
Sirius regained the shape of a friendly stray and made off back towards the scene of the previous trouble.  
  
Elsewhere in town, teachers hurried to gather their students together and lead them back to the castle. Every shop, business and restaurant cleared out as their customers rushed to safety. It was utter chaos. The people of Hogsmeade were in hysterics. Fear and self-preservation gripped the majority of the citizens. The streets were choked with people trying to leave town all together. The officials were having a great deal of trouble getting things in order. Because of the magic of the area, Apparating was impossible. Everyone was reduced to foot travel. Terrified third year students looked desperately around for some kind of instruction, this being the first time in Hogsmeade for most of them.  
  
McGonagall and Professor Sprout desperately tried to get a handle on their students, but it was impossible. The town was too big, the students too spread out. Knowing no other way to get instructions out to all of the Hogwarts students, Professor McGonagall took out her wand and pointed it to her own throat.  
  
"Sonorus!"  
  
When next she spoke, her stern voice echoed throughout Hogsmeade. "All Hogwarts students and staff report back to the castle IMMEDIATELY!!! No exceptions! Repeat: Everyone back to Hogwarts!" She pointed her wand and her throat again and reversed the spell. "We must hurry everyone out of here," she said to Professor Sprout. The two witches quickly moved to the route between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, ushering students along the way.  
  
..................................  
  
"We need to get back, now!" George said.  
  
"But what if there's still problems?!" Hermione asked, near hysterics. "What if we'd just be walking into trouble?!"  
  
"They others aren't going to be sticking around town with Death Eaters running around," George said. "The teachers will've led them all back to the castle."  
  
"Hold on, I'm thinking," Fred said, holding his hands up for silence. "If we go through one of the secret passages, we can get back to Hogwarts without going through Hogsmeade. You've told me that one of them is in the Shrieking Shack, right Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded. "The one that's under the Whomping Willow."  
  
"That's suicide," George protested.  
  
"So's staying here if the professors find out," Fred said.  
  
"I could lose my prefect title over this," Hermione said, nervously biting her nails.  
  
"You can lose a lot more than that," said Fred. "Sneaking out of bounds. Long distance flight without permission. Can you say 'expelled?'"  
  
"Oh, no," Hermione moaned.  
  
"What exactly is going on?" Yami asked. Much to his distaste, he was ignored.  
  
"We can get past the Whomping Willow," Harry said. "There's a knot on it that will freeze the tree for a moment if you touch it."  
  
"Good. Come on, we better hurry," George said.  
  
"Wait!" Malik yelled, holding his hands up for attention. "Tell us what's going on."  
  
"That's the Dark Mark," Hermione quickly explained. "It's the symbol of You- Know-Who."  
  
"Who?" Yami, Malik, and Yami Bakura all said at once.  
  
"Voldemort!" Harry said. "The Dark Wizard we told you about before!"  
  
"Oh, the guy who killed your- uh, nevermind." Yami Bakura had almost blurted out something that would have been incredibly insensitive, even for him.  
  
"That symbol usually means that his followers have killed somebody!" Ron said.  
  
"I guess we better go, then," Malik said.  
  
Quickly they moved to pack up the duel disks. Meanwhile, Yami Bakura was questioning his host, trying to find out what had upset him.  
  
//What is it?\\ he asked impatiently.  
  
He could feel that Ryou was awake, but he was still getting no answer. Ryou wasn't hurt or anything as far as he could tell, but he wouldn't speak. He was very upset, shocked even, and Yami Bakura couldn't figure out why. But if he was understanding things correctly, he didn't have time to interrogate his host. They had to move. But, of course, if Ryou was staying in his soul room, that meant that Yami Bakura would have to fly back... Oh, boy...  
  
The equipment was all packed up and Yami put his robes back on, although reluctantly. "Alright, same as the way over," George said. "Same people riding with the same people. Keep low to the ground so that we won't be seen by anybody looking at the Dark Mark."  
  
Yami Bakura picked up his broom and pondered over it a moment. With Ryou's knowledge and talent, he should be able to manage it. Carefully, he climbed on. As he lifted his feet, he was relieved to find that it was hovering. Unfortunately, he'd almost forgotten about his passenger.  
  
"You're flying?" Yami asked, keeping his voice down. "Why aren't you letting the other Bakura do it?"  
  
"He's not feeling well," Yami Bakura said. "Something upset him and we don't have time for me to try to find out what it is. So welcome aboard, I will be your pilot today."  
  
Yami didn't look at all comfortable with this. "You sure you can do it?" he asked.  
  
"I can do anything Ryou can do," Yami Bakura said confidently. "Which reminds me, switch back to Yugi," he added in a whisper.  
  
"Why?" Yami asked suspiciously.  
  
"Because I'm sure the Ryou was able to fly with him on the broom, but I'm not so sure about you."  
  
"What difference should it make?"  
  
"Oh, come on, Pharaoh," Yami Bakura whispered, "You are at least thirty pounds heavier than Yugi."  
  
"I am not!" Yami said indignantly. "Fifteen, maybe."  
  
"Fifteen pounds is your buckles plus your hair," Yami Bakura replied with a bit of a smirk. "But a foot of height difference should make you about thirty pounds heavier."  
  
"You don't know that!" Yami said.  
  
"Look, fifteen, thirty, it doesn't really matter," Yami Bakura said finally. "The point is you're still heavier. Switch, or I'll leave your royal ass here."  
  
Yami grumbled but complied. But he wouldn't take that verbal abuse from Yami Bakura without a retort. "Just so you know, I would have won that duel. I had a 'De-spell' card coming up to get rid of your field magic."  
  
"You would not have!" Yami Bakura argued. "I had a million other ways to beat you!"  
  
"Too late, he's gone," Yugi said. "He switched right after he said that."  
  
"Your other half is a pain in the neck," Yami Bakura mumbled.  
  
"It's your fault," Yugi said with a grin. "You made him feel fat."  
  
//He did not!\\ Yami argued. //I'm not that self-conscious! He was just wrong and I made it a point to tell him that!\\  
  
Yugi laughed quietly in response.  
  
Yami Bakura was quickly able to get the hang of flying. All of them managed to make it to the hill where they had started off. Now, they just had to walk around it, sneak into the Shrieking Shack, get past the Whomping Willow, and cross the Hogwarts grounds to the castle, all without being seen. No big deal.  
  
"Your invisibility cloak would have come in handy right about now," Ron muttered to Harry.  
  
"We wouldn't have all fit in it," Harry said.  
  
"Yes, but at least three of us would have been safe."  
  
"That's not right, and you know it. We couldn't just abandon the others."  
  
"Yeah, I know. I just don't like that our future as wizards are in the hands of my brothers"  
  
Despite Ron's complaints, Fred and George were doing their best to keep all of them out of trouble. They really didn't want to get kicked out of school their last year, especially since they'd managed to avoid it so many times in the past. Lucky for all of them, the hill had been combed by the investigating officials already, so no one was there to see them.  
  
Sneaking into the Shrieking Shack from the back was a little trickier. There were no doors there and the widows seemed to all be stuck. They did, however, find a hole in the wall that had been covered by an overgrown bush, and they were able to get in that way. Little did they, know, they were being watched by a pair of yellow eyes.  
  
Once inside, they found the passage without much difficulty. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all been through it before. Quickly and quietly, they slipped into the underground passage. The yellow eyes followed.  
  
It seemed to take forever for them to get through the long, dark, low- ceilinged path. They felt as if each passing second dramatically increased their risk of getting caught. But eventually, what seemed like hours later, they neared the exit and could see daylight through a large gap in the roots of the tree they were now under.  
  
Malik was the first to reach the exit. He climbed up the sloping earth rise and cautiously peeked out, searching for signs of life. There was no one. They were all probably safe inside the castle, but it was probably best not to dawdle.  
  
"Coast is clear, let's go," Malik said.  
  
Malik was already out before the Hogwarts gang realized what he was doing. "Malik, wait!" they yelled in unison.  
  
Malik couldn't understand why they were shouting at him. "What?" he said, turning to look in their direction.  
  
WHAM! A swinging branch connected with Malik's stomach and he was forced backwards. The breath knocked out of him, he struggled to regain it while looking about for the source of the attack. His eyes widened as he saw that his attacker was neither human, nor animal. It was the tree. How the Hell do you fight a tree? He didn't have time to figure it out. The others ran to the exit in an effort to quickly reach the knot that would stop the tree, but they weren't fast enough to spare Malik another blow. He managed to avoid a few swings, but the Whomping Willow found its target again. It hit him in the head and knocked him to the ground where he landed in a heap. He didn't move.  
  
Yami Bakura cursed and rushed out himself. Harry hit the knot a mere second before another swinging branch would have taken out Yami Bakura, who was oblivious to the danger he had just escaped. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Yugi, and the twins rushed after.  
  
Yami Bakura kneeled down next to Malik and rolled him over onto his back. There was a nasty gash on Malik's forehead just below his hairline where the tree had hit him. He showed no signs of consciousness.  
  
"Oh, my God," Hermione said, covering her mouth. Harry and Ron kneeled beside their fallen comrade as well.  
  
"Malik?" Harry said, shaking the blonde's shoulder slightly. "Come on, wake up."  
  
Yami Bakura's discerning eyes watched for signs of life. He didn't know what to do. Malik was down and there was nothing he could do about it. He wasn't fulfilling his part of the bargain. He was supposed to have been watching his back...  
  
He was more than a little relieved when Malik groaned and his violet eyes fluttered open. Yami Bakura looked on, forgetting to hide the concern on his face.  
  
"Is he alright?" Fred asked. "Should I go get help?"  
  
"They could heal him up real well before they kick us all out of school," George added.  
  
"Ow," Malik said simply. Yami Bakura sighed and rolled his eyes.  
  
"You thick-skulled idiot."  
  
"That thick skull apparently saved him," Yugi observed.  
  
"Malik, are you okay? How do you feel?" Harry asked.  
  
Malik sat up slowly. "I just got whacked by a living two-by-four, how do you think I feel?"  
  
"His sarcasm is intact. I do believe he will live," Fred said with a grin. "But perhaps a trip to Madam Pomfrey is still in order."  
  
"I'm okay," Malik said. "I've been worse. It's just a bump on the head. Tree didn't get a good hit on me. Barely touched me."  
  
"It did a pretty good job of knocking you out for having barely touched you," Yami Bakura said with narrowed eyes and a smirk. Malik was just putting on a tough act.  
  
"You still should go to the hospital wing," Hermione said. "You might have a concussion. Don't worry, Madame Pomfrey never asks too many questions. Believe me, I've gone in there with some strange problems and she never asked what happened. Come to think of it, that's rather irresponsible of her."  
  
"Never mind that, Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I said I'm fine," Malik insisted, standing up shakily.  
  
"She can heal you almost instantly," Harry offered. "Besides, Pomfrey won't ask questions, but the teachers might if they see that cut on your forehead. McGonagall might think you got in a scrap with Malfoy."  
  
"Oh, Malfoy," Yami Bakura said, grinning suddenly. "I'd almost forgotten about him. I wonder what plan he will come up with to humiliate you it he finds out that you got beat up by a TREE!"  
  
Malik scoffed and then looked back at Harry. "Heal instantly, you say?"  
  
"Won't even leave a scar," Harry said with a nod.  
  
"Too bad, you two could have something in common," George joked, indicating the scar on Harry's own forehead.  
  
"Alright then, I'll go," Malik agreed finally. "I do have a bit of a headache. And I'm a tad dizzy."  
  
"I'll bet," Ron said as they all started to walk towards the castle.  
  
"That reminds me. But I guess I'll just forget the money you owe me," Fred said. "At least until your fixed up."  
  
"Money? What money?" Malik asked.  
  
"The five Galleons we bet on the duel," Fred replied.  
  
"But the duel wasn't finished," Malik protested.  
  
"You guys bet on our duel?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"Yeah," Fred replied before turning to Malik again. "Weren't we going by their life point count?" he asked. "Bakura's was higher."  
  
"You can't determine the winner before someone's life points are zero," said Malik. "Too many things can change the final result."  
  
"Oh, fine then," Fred said, shrugging his shoulders. It wasn't a big deal. Five Galleons, after all and it's not like he understood the rules himself. Besides, after Malik got beat up by the Whomping Willow, Fred didn't want to take his money. Which was good, because Malik didn't have any to begin with.  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes suddenly widened in realization and he stepped in front of Malik to block his path. "Hold up, you bet AGAINST ME?!"  
  
Malik laughed nervously. "Just... playing the odds...picking the favorite, you know?"  
  
Yami Bakura narrowed his eyes and shook his head. "I wish that tree had taken your head clean off," he muttered, turning back towards the castle. Malik exchanged glances with Yugi and they both grinned.  
  
Unbeknownst to the students, a large, black dog climbed out of the hole in the roots under the Whomping Willow. It walked a safe distance away from the dangerous tree for it was sure to unfreeze at any minute and looked after the teenagers as they walked away. The dog snorted disapprovingly and took off towards the back of the castle where it could sneak in more easily.  
  
Harry, Yugi, and company were relieved to see that they weren't the only stragglers once they entered the castle. Several third years, as well as Neville Longbottom, were still roaming the halls, unsure of where they were supposed to be. As they neared the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore's booming voice suddenly sounded, echoing through the castle.  
  
"All students report to your common rooms," he announced, rather seriously. The normally pleasant and good-natured headmaster put on a more imposing face during times of trouble. All the experienced students knew that it was best to do just as he said.  
  
"We'll go on and tell McGonagall you're coming," Fred said as he and George started to head towards the Gryffindor rooms. "We'll just tell her you're at the Hospital Wing. She won't punish you for that. But you better head back as soon as Malik's taken care of."  
  
"I better go, too," Hermione said. "I'm a prefect. The professor might need me. Will you guys be alright?"  
  
Harry and Ron nodded. "We won't be long."  
  
The twins and Hermione left and Yugi, Harry, Ron, Yami Bakura, and Malik (whose dizziness was causing him to walk with a bit of a sway) entered Madame Pomfrey's area. She instructed Malik to have a seat as soon as she saw him. It was a few minutes before she even realized the others were there. Healthy students weren't her department and it was easy for her to accidentally ignore them.  
  
"Go on back to your common rooms," she said. "Dumbledore gave specific instructions and you best follow them."  
  
Malik nodded in agreement and shooed his comrades away. "I'll be alright," he said. "Go on."  
  
Yami Bakura rolled his eyes and led the procession out. By now the hallways were clear and it gave all of them (save Yami Bakura) an uneasy feeling. When they reached the Gryffindor common room, McGonagall had already started speaking to the others. She paused and glanced at them as they entered.  
  
"Sorry Professor," Yugi said, feeling immediately guilty. "We were-"  
  
"I know, Mr. Mouto," she interrupted. "Your fellow students have already informed me. While I admire your dedication to your friend, you should have all reported here as soon as the headmaster instructed you to."  
  
They waited for her to take points away from Gryffindor, but she didn't. Instead, she turned back to the rest of the Gryffindors and continued where she left off. The new arrivals quickly found a place to sit (with Yami Bakura choosing instead to stand in the background) where they could listen to her properly.  
  
"...with the events of today, all trips to Hogsmeade will be canceled until further notice." There were a few groans of complaint at this. McGonagall pursed her lips and eyed her students. "These are dangerous times, and we will not sacrifice the safty of the student body for unnecessary things such as Hogsmeade. I also expect all of you to behave in a mature manner and be on your best behavior." She glanced at Yami Bakura as she said this. He pretended not to notice. "The ministry is in the process of conducting a heavy investigation of today's murder, so do not be surprised if you see an official on Hogwarts grounds. I should also advise all of you to consider the situation and behave appropriately. Use your judgment. Anyone who uses today's events to cause mischief or commits an act that puts himself or others in danger, will be punished doubly. Depending on the degree of the offense, expulsion might be considered. This is your only warning. That is all. An announcement will be made once all the professors have finished discussing the matter of today. Until then, no one is to leave this room." McGonagall gave one last stern look across the room before disappearing through the portrait hole.  
  
There was a silence after she left. For a few minutes no one said anything. Then all at once, the Gryffindors broke out into heated conversations.  
  
"Wow, double punishments," Ron said. "They're really serious."  
  
"What did we miss, Hermione?" Harry asked.  
  
"Someone was murdered by the killing curse in town today," she explained. Harry, Ron, and Yugi all leaned in to hear better. "The murders were gone before anyone could get there."  
  
"So the murders are still on the loose?" Yugi asked, not attempting to hide the worry in his voice.  
  
"Hogwarts is probably the safest place you can be," Harry said. "You don't need to be scared."  
  
"It was definitely Death Eaters," Hermione continued. "The man was killed in their traditional execution style. They killed him, took his wand to summon the Dark Mark, and then left it at the scene. Guys, this is even worse that the Dark Mark at the Quidditch world cup last year. This time, someone was actually killed. The entire magical world will be in an uproar over this."  
  
Hermione and the others continued to talk. Meanwhile Yami Bakura quietly made his was across the room and up the stairs to the dorm. He had business to attend to.  
  
He made his way over to Ryou's bed. The ring glowed as he took on his spiritual form, thus forcing Ryou to take control of the body. The lighter Bakura blinked, suddenly finding himself facing the physical world. He saw his other standing beside him, and for one moment, their gazes met, before Ryou looked away. His yami had that impatient look in his eye.  
  
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Yami Bakura said. His tone of voice seemed to hint that the answer better not be no.  
  
"It's... nothing."  
  
"Liar," Yami Bakura accused. Ryou was taken aback. He'd never been called that before.  
  
"You don't go into shock for over half an hour over nothing. I've been nice long enough," Yami Bakura said. "I'm going to find out what the problem is, one way or another. Don't force me to do it the hard way." Yami Bakura took a step closer.  
  
Ryou flinched involuntarily. Yami Bakura noticed. His expression softened slightly. If he wasn't careful, his relationship with his host would regress dramatically. He didn't want that. Not after he'd come so far. "I didn't mean that like it sounded," he said. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I want to know what got you so upset. It's best not to keep secrets. If you don't tell me, I will simply look in your mind and see for myself. For your own safty."  
  
"You mean you haven't already?" Ryou asked, nervously speaking up. "I-I thought for sure that you'd already... that's partially why I..."  
  
"You're babbling, Ryou," Yami Bakura said. "Without making any sense, I might add."  
  
"Sorry," Ryou apologized. "I just thought that you...never mind."  
  
Yami Bakura eyed his lighter half. There was a lot on the young boy's mind, he could tell. Most of it would probably not be good news. But it was also probably important. He had to know. Had to.  
  
"Tell me everything," Yami Bakura said finally.  
  
.............................  
  
Back to normal sized chapters and weekly updates (hopefully... I have another trip coming up *rolls eyes*) 


	28. Busted

So this story's around 150-200 pages so far, eh? Sounds about right. Almost eighty-six thousand words before this chapter. And I've been working on it since November. Makes me really feel for Rowling. I can see why it takes her so long to put out the next book. I expect to be in my second year of college before book six comes out. Three years, I think is what they estimate it will be.  
  
Anyway, I figured out how I'm going to end this story, so I can read the book now! Yays! From the first sixty-somewhat pages, I can see how the characters have changed in between book four and five. But I don't think that should be a problem. This story was meant from the beginning to focus more on the YGO portion, anyway.  
  
*pokes reader* I posted my one-shot. Called "Control Freak." Hint, hint. *poke, poke*  
  
This would have been out sooner, but an unexpected guest named Bill blew in from the Gulf of Mexico and killed our electricity for several hours, thus eliminating the vast majority of my writing time on the last day before I was to leave again. It was such pretty weather though; it was almost worth it. I love storms.  
  
Chapter 28: Busted ...........................  
  
Ryou began by first explaining to his other about the dream. He went over every detail he could remember. Yami Bakura remained silent as Ryou spoke.  
  
"I didn't think the dream really meant anything," Ryou said as he finished. "And I was afraid you would get the wrong idea. I was afraid it would be like with that boggart. I didn't want you to get defensive."  
  
"So you felt guilty that the first thing that came to your mind when that shadow appeared in your dream was me," Yami Bakura spoke up finally.  
  
"Kinda," Ryou replied, looking cautiously at his yami, searching for signs of anger. "It did fit with the way you used to be. But just because it came to my mind doesn't me I believed it. Besides, truth be told, I was thinking about you before the shadow appeared, so I guess I just automatically linked-"  
  
"You don't have to defend yourself," Yami Bakura interrupted. "I suppose it was perfectly rational to think what you did. But give me a little more credit, will you? I can handle being seen as somewhat suspicious, even by you. I'm used to it."  
  
Although Ryou was relieved that his other half wasn't angry, he still found Yami Bakura's attitude to be somewhat sad. To be so accustomed to others being suspicious of you...  
  
"Why did you seem to take the boggart incident to heart, then?" Ryou asked curiously. Coming from anyone else, that statement would have done nothing but annoy Yami Bakura. He would have thought they doubted his words. But he could find nothing but sincerity and concern in Ryou's words. It made him want to answer in the same way.  
  
"I can accept others being suspicious of me. But I didn't like thinking that you found me to be the most terrifying thing imaginable. There was a point when I would have found pride in that. But now...I just don't want that anymore. I guess my views have changed. My priorities are different now."  
  
Yami Bakura closed his eyes and sighed. When he looked up again, Ryou was looking at him with an expression he couldn't place. Understanding? Approval?  
  
He shook his head as if to clear away his thoughts. "Enough of the serious sentimental stuff. If I'm not careful, I'll end up completely like the rest of you saps. Don't forget, I still have an image to maintain. So let's keep what I've said quiet, shall we?"  
  
Ryou laughed softly. "You're a paradox, you know that?"  
  
"Why do people keep telling me that?" Yami Bakura asked, casting his eyes up as if expecting an answer from the heavens. "Whatever. Back to the matter at hand. You've told me at least partially why you were upset, but am I right in assuming there's more to it?"  
  
Ryou nodded slowly. "When I...when I saw that thing in the sky, that skull and snake, it was suddenly like I was back in the dream. I...I felt as if my insides were twisted in a knot. And it was so cold..." Ryou nervously rubbed his arms as he remembered. "And that laugh... I could hear that laugh echoing in my mind. That sadistic, twisted laugh. I couldn't escape it. I felt...trapped."  
  
"Well, that officially makes this a recurring dream," Yami Bakura said. "How long did it last this time?"  
  
"I'm not sure," Ryou answered. "Even after it finally stopped, I couldn't shake that feeling it gave me. That feeling of dread. And that nervous feeling deep down." He took a trembling breath. "I think I started to come around about the time Malik was attacked by that tree."  
  
"Oh, caught that, did you? Glad you didn't miss that prime example of stupidity in action. The lesson learned: trust nothing in this place. Everything's bewitched."  
  
"Don't be too harsh," Ryou said. "It was just a mistake." He waited a moment before speaking up again. "So, what do you make of all this?"  
  
Yami Bakura inhaled deeply and released it slowly. "Well, this is obviously a premonition. You seem to have been getting a lot of those lately. Dammit, I so wanted to get away from this fate and destiny crap."  
  
"Sorry?" Ryou said, shrugging his shoulders.  
  
"Nevermind. This is probably the same thing the Tarot cards were predicting. Which means nothing we've done so far has changed it for the better. Great. Just peachy."  
  
"Well, at least that means we know for sure who the cards were pointing at, right?"  
  
Yami Bakura cast curious eyes at his host. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, the snake and skull is a symbol of that wizard bad guy," Ryou said. "So it must be him that was in the prediction and my dream. Right?" Ryou looked at his yami expectantly. He really didn't want Malik to end up as the source of all their future problems as they had originally thought. Though the wizard guy probably wouldn't be any easier to deal with. But at least they wouldn't end up with an enemy that was also their friend that way.  
  
Yami Bakura began pacing, his transparent form seeming to shift as he stepped into and then out of the afternoon sunlight that streamed through the open windows. "I suppose that could be true," he said finally. "The reading was a few weeks ago; I don't remember all of it. Should have written it down." He stared at the floor as he continued to pace. "I do remember that Malik was my first impression, and my first impressions are usually the ones I go with. But...recent events do seem to point to that other guy. And he's a wizard problem, not ours, so I guess that's best."  
  
"But...we are wizards," Ryou spoke up softly. Yami Bakura halted and turned to him, a questioning look on his face. "Well, we've been learning their magic," Ryou said, feeling the need to explain. "And they seem to have excepted us as their own. We've made friends with them. We can't very well just walk away from all of this if things happen to take a turn for the worse. Their problems are our problems now."  
  
Yami Bakura snorted in his aggravation. "Just what we need...more problems."  
  
"Bakura? Is that you up there?"  
  
Ryou jumped slightly at the sound of Harry's voice. "Yes," he answered. Harry peeked his head into the room. Ryou cast a nervous glance at his yami, but of course, there was nothing to worry about. While in his spiritual form, no one could see him but Ryou, not even Yugi or Malik.  
  
"We were wondering where you went," Harry commented. "We didn't see you leave."  
  
"Tell him you just needed to get away from everyone to clear your head," Yami Bakura instructed. Harry couldn't hear him either. Ryou did as he was told.  
  
"Well, I can understand that. S'been a rough day."  
  
"You don't know the half of it," Yami Bakura mumbled.  
  
Harry couldn't help but notice how Ryou kept casting eyes towards a spot that to him looked empty. "Is someone else up here?" Harry asked.  
  
"Wha?" said Ryou, mouth dropping slightly. Harry couldn't see or hear his yami right? Could he maybe sense him? Ryou's eyebrows furrowed in worry.  
  
"Well, I heard you talking before I came in," Harry said.  
  
"You were talking to yourself," Yami Bakura said, feeding Ryou his lines. "It IS technically true."  
  
"I was just talking to myself," Ryou said. "It helps me think," he added to make it seem more sincere.  
  
"Oh..." Harry was getting the feeling that something was going on that he wasn't clued in on, which seemed to be happening more and more lately. Ryou was still glancing nervously at that one spot.  
  
"Stop looking at me, you idiot," Yami Bakura hissed. "He's gonna start thinking you're schizophrenic."  
  
'That's almost the truth,' Ryou thought. An awkwardness hung in the air as neither Harry nor Ryou said anything. But their silence was broken when they heard Ron's voice.  
  
"Oy, Harry! You're wanted!"  
  
"Coming," Harry called. He turned back to Ryou. "If you decide you want to talk to someone other than yourself, the rest of us'll be downstairs." Ryou nodded to show he heard.  
  
Harry ambled down the stairs from the fifth year boys' dorm and once again entered the Gryffindor common room. "What is it?" he asked Ron as he stepped off the last stair.  
  
"McGonagall came by and said we can leave the common room now," Ron answered. Several people had already left Harry noticed. The room was quite a bit less crowded than it had been previously. "She also said that, um, Professor White wants to see you. In his classroom."  
  
"I don't remember us having a training session today," Harry said, lowering his eyes and placing a hand on his chin as he struggled to recall. He'd been studying privately with his Godfather two nights out of every week since he started school, going over spells used in dueling mostly. But Harry was sure that they'd already done their sessions for the week. Perhaps Sirius wanted to fill him in more on what had happened in Hogsmeade. Maybe it involved him in some way. Could those Death Eaters have been after him?  
  
"Thanks, Ron," Harry said, and he made for the exit.  
  
"You going to fill us in on it later?" Ron asked.  
  
"Of course," Harry answered. He emerged from behind the portrait of the Fat Lady and closed it behind him. The hallways were a buzz with students discussing the day's events. The first and second years (who were too young to go to Hogsmeade themselves) were all begging the older students to tell them the goings on. Several of them were looking positively terrified. Peeves the Poltergeist wasn't helping. He seemed to find a great deal of enjoyment in sneaking up on unsuspecting students and shrieking behind their backs.  
  
Harry reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and knocked apprehensively on the door.  
  
"Come in, Harry," Sirius answered from the other side. His voice sounded grim. Not a good sign in Harry's opinion. He hesitantly opened the door.  
  
"You wanted to see me?" Harry asked. He prepared for bad news. Sirius was hunched over his desk. Harry was still not completely used to Sirius's disguise. That messy blonde hair and mustache just didn't seem right and Sirius seemed to have made even less of an effort to tame them than usual.  
  
"Sit down, Harry," Sirius instructed without looking up. Harry did as he was told. His heart was beginning to pound furiously in his chest. Sirius seemed to be angry, yet trying to keep a lid on it. Harry wondered what was wrong.  
  
Sirius looked up finally. His eyes were hard and narrowed. "Guess who I saw today as I was heading back from Hogsmeade via the Shrieking Shack pathway?"  
  
Harry's heart jumped. "Uh, I...uh..." he mumbled.  
  
"Would you like to explain to me what you were doing with all those other students on the other side of the hill? And why you were so late in responding to the announcement to get back to Hogwarts?" Sirius wasn't yelling, but the volume of his voice was steadily rising. "Do you have any idea the trouble you would have been in if those Death Eaters had fled in that direction?!"  
  
"Sorry!" was Harry could think of to say.  
  
"Sorry isn't enough, Harry!" Sirius passed a hand through his frizzy blonde locks in his frustration. "I expressly told you to avoid risks. And there you were, sneaking around in the underground passage, failing to warn your newest members of the Whomping Willow. Lucky for all of you, especially him, that Madame Pomfrey is so good at taking care of head injuries. And we're fortunate that that's all it was. That tree could have easily broken any of you in half."  
  
"Malik's okay then?" Harry asked timidly. Sirius's expression softened slightly.  
  
"He's fine. I checked on him myself as soon as that foul disguise potion of Severus' s took effect. Poppy, Madame Pomfrey to you, fussed over him a bit and wouldn't let him leave until she was sure all his ailments had cleared up. Made him walk a straight line and everything to make sure he wasn't lying about his dizziness being gone. Looked like a sobriety test. He didn't seem to like it to much."  
  
Harry wasn't sure if it was safe to laugh at this. In the end, he decided against it. "I am really sorry," he said again.  
  
"Just what were all of you doing?" Sirius asked. He eyed Harry, waiting to hear the excuse.  
  
Harry didn't know how he should answer. He could get the others in a lot of trouble if he told about the brooms and the duel disks. He was fairly certain that Sirius would put being his Godfather over being his professor and would not expel him, but he may do other things, such as report them to McGonagall or Dumbledore. Something like this could cost Hermione her prefect title. He, Bakura, and the Weasly twins might get booted off the Quidditch team, as well.  
  
"The truth, Harry," Sirius said when he saw him hesitating.  
  
Harry sighed. "Yugi and Bakura had this contraption they wanted to show us. But it was technology and couldn't work anywhere near the school. And it sounded really neat, Hermione and I had never even heard of it, so...we just kinda..."  
  
"Just kinda took off until you were far enough away for it to work," Sirius finished. He was still staring at Harry. So this was what it was like to be scolded by a parental figure of sorts. He never got anything like this at the Dursleys; they yelled simply for the sake of yelling.  
  
"Well I am very disappointed at your serious lack of judgment," Sirius said. "Nothing is worth that kind of risk, no matter how 'neat' it is." Sirius paused for a moment before continuing, as if debating whether or not he wanted to share the next bit of information. "But I also don't believe that I would have done anything different in your place, especially at your age. I suppose that makes me a hypocrite."  
  
Harry's heart lept. Maybe they wouldn't be in that much trouble after all.  
  
"The trouble with being a juvenile delinquent who grew up to be an, if anything, worst adult is that I just don't feel right lecturing you like this. I can't help but remember all the times I was on the other side of this conversation. But that doesn't mean that I still don't think what you did was a stupid risk. I'll bet your heart skipped a beat or two when you saw that Dark Mark in the sky, eh?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Well, I ask you," Sirius said, "was it worth it?"  
  
Harry swallowed hard. "That depends on the punishment."  
  
Sirius sighed. "I'm not going to report you on this, Harry. For several reasons. One, this new double punishment rule would be enforced. All of you would end up serving detentions every weekend until you graduate at the very least, and I think that's slightly harsh." Sirius smiled for the first time since Harry stepped into the room. Harry felt relief instantly wash over him. "The other thing," Sirius continued, "is those transfer students. I don't think they fully understood the risks they were undertaking in all this or the trouble they could be in. But ignorance isn't an excuse so they would be punished every bit as harshly as the rest of you and I don't think that's fair. So as far as anyone is concerned, no one saw you breaking all those school rules except ole' Snuffles, the stray dog."  
  
Harry beamed, feeling a great swell of affection and appreciation towards his Godfather. "Thanks, Sirius!"  
  
"Now, you don't get off that easy," Sirius said, cutting off Harry's elation with a stern look and a pointed index finger. "I want you to swear to me that you aren't going to be doing anything stupid like this again. No matter what."  
  
"I promise."  
  
"And you'll make sure those transfers don't either," Sirius added.  
  
"The transfers?" Harry questioned.  
  
"I just have a feeling that they shouldn't be wandering around with Death Eaters about. They don't know the dangers. I suppose that's my fault, being their Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Just haven't gotten that far yet... Anyway, all of you are to stay on Hogwarts grounds until further notice. Got that?"  
  
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I got it."  
  
"Right. So go enjoy the rest of your weekend. You've got Quidditch games coming up, don't you have to practice or something?"  
  
"Not really. It's just Slytherin," Harry replied with a bit of a laugh. Sirius mussed Harry's hair good-naturedly and shooed him out of the room, locking the door behind both of them. He watched as Harry left, heading back towards the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Now that that was done, Sirius had other business to attend to. He walked down the stone hallways and up several flights of stairs, greeting a few students along the way, until he came to a stone gargoyle. Just as he was about to speak the password (rice pudding) the gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the passageway behind it. A shrewd figure clad in black stepped out.  
  
"I've already informed the headmaster of the day's events," Snape sneered with a look of loathing that he normally reserved for Harry (and lately, Ryou). "I doubt a testimony from a dog's point of view is needed."  
  
"Ah, but you'd be surprised what a dog can sense that a man is blind to. Sights, sounds, smells...all may prove important," Sirius replied, ignoring Snape's arrogance.  
  
"Are you implying that A DOG might have obtained some useful information that I missed?" Snape said dangerously.  
  
"Not at all," said Sirius. "It's just that dog may have caught some information that you were too busy rubbing the dirt from your eyes to see." Snape glared at Sirius with a look of raw, seething hatred. "Now, now, Severus," Sirius spoke up with a cheerfulness that he knew would grate on Snape's nerves. "We are not competing over who can gather the most information. This isn't a game. It doesn't matter who provides the most valuable information. It's all for the greater good."  
  
Snape curled his lip into a vicious sneer but said nothing. He only turned and stalked away. Sirius couldn't help but grin. He loved pushing Snape's buttons. It was a good thing Harry wasn't around. Sirius would be such a bad influence.  
  
As he turned and made his way up the stairway that had been behind the stone gargoyle, Sirius wiped the grin from his face and returned to a business-like manner. He needed to have a serious talk with Dumbledore.  
  
Dumbledore was seated behind his desk when Sirius entered. The Pensive was placed in front of him; he apparently had been filtering out some of his thoughts from his discussion with Snape for later examination. On a nearby perch sat Fawkes the phoenix, looking positively magnificent in his brilliant plumage. The bird was at the point in its cycle when it was most impressive. Sirius whistled at it as he walked by. Fawkes responded by ruffling his feathers and singing a few notes of his beautiful song.  
  
"I expected I would be hearing from you," Dumbledore said as Sirius sat down.  
  
"Snape's given you most of the details, then? That which wasn't said at the staff's meeting?"  
  
"He did," Dumbledore answered. "He told me that the man who was murdered was mere seconds away from revealing what Voldemort was after before his fellow Death Eaters silenced him. All Severus heard was that they were looking for items in Egypt."  
  
"Yes," Sirius said, "seven items is what he said. He started to say what they were called, but the others cut him off." Sirius leaned in closer. "Do you think that it could be mere coincidence that those new students also have magical items from Egypt? I mean, could they be the same ones that Voldemort is looking for?"  
  
"That is a strong possibility, but not a sure one," Dumbledore replied. "Egypt is home to many magical mysteries. I attempted to research the items, but there is very little information. All I've found pertaining to them so far is a legend, and I don't know how much of it is truth. You said the man started to say what the items they were looking for were called. Did you happen do catch any of it?"  
  
"It sounded like Mill-something," Sirius answered. "And that's if I heard right. With a dog's hearing it's sometimes hard to focus on one sound."  
  
"The boys said their items were called the Millennium Items. And seven is the number stated in the legend. That does sound like more than a coincidence, doesn't it?"  
  
"If it was nothing but a legend, then what gave Voldemort the idea to go after them? In his situation, I know I wouldn't be going after something that might end up a lost cause," Sirius said.  
  
"He's desperate," Dumbledore said simply. "He's not as strong as he was fourteen years ago, and his power is slow to strengthen. That's why he has not made any bold moves yet. If what I read in that legend is true, then such power would be very tempting. For someone like him, the ability to read minds or see the future would be irresistible. So he finds it to be worth the effort, just incase there is any truth to the legend."  
  
"Those items have that much power?" Sirius said in awe. "Our students have that kind of magic in their hands?"  
  
"Our students have three of the items that I know of," Dumbledore said. "But as the International Magic Counsel is failing to locate the adults that they had first detected with the same power, I suspect that our students may be holding out. But that's what happens when the Counsel and the Ministry rely on outdated information."  
  
"You've told me about the split personalities that the items give two of the boys," Sirius said, "but you never went into their other abilities. What magic do these boys have?"  
  
"Their powers are great," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard in thought. "They can manipulate the soul, sealing it away. Not so unlike a Dementor's kiss from what I understand. They can summon a realm of darkness, a dimension completely separate from our own. They can call forth monstrous beasts to do their bidding. And if the accusations of one Draco Malfoy are accurate, the Egyptian boy possesses the power to manipulate the minds of others. To control their every action."  
  
"Like the Imperius curse..." Sirius said, mouth agape.  
  
"Correct. You see why I am hesitant to give the information of their special abilities out? It's hard to treat someone with such power equally to the way you treat the other students. It's difficult to not express a certain amount of fear or suspicion. And these boys have done nothing to deserve that. They are here to learn, not to cause trouble. And though they may exercise their powers more than they ought and cause some mischief, the Ishtal boy especially, they mean no real harm. They are just like any other student here in that they want to learn proper magic. And I won't deny them that chance."  
  
"But shouldn't the staff be aware if Death Eaters could come in here after these children?" Sirius asked. "Shouldn't they know of the danger?"  
  
"Some members of the staff will know," Dumbledore answered. "But for safety's sake, not all. Information has a way of leaking out. As long as none but a select few are aware of the items being here, the boys are safe within these walls. The Death Eaters do not yet know who has what they are looking for. Incidentally, I do not believe it to be a good idea to tell the boys of Voldemort's plans either. "  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Take Harry for an example. For the past four years, he's had to worry about Voldemort coming after him. That concern is forever at the back of his mind. Those fears are indeed justified. But if you could spare him from that, wouldn't you?"  
  
"I see," Sirius muttered. "But at least he is prepared that way. He knows of the danger so he is better able to prevent it."  
  
"Look at the last four years, Sirius. Has anything been prevented? What good did it really do him?"  
  
"If it had taken him completely by surprise than surely he would not have faired as well as he did," argued Sirius.  
  
"One can never truly prepare for such an encounter," Dumbledore said solemnly. "There will be a time when they will have to know. But I intend to spare them the worry for as long a possible."  
  
"I suppose you know best," Sirius replied, though he clearly did not agree.  
  
"I will have to have a talk with them, though," Dumbledore said. "I need to advise Mr. Ishtal not to resort to his other magic to solve every dispute. I cannot have him using such dangerous magic within the school. I shall also see what other information I can gather from them all. The more we know...the better, and safer, we'll all be."  
  
"Right. I'll leave you to it, then," Sirius said, as he got up to leave.  
  
"One more thing."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Dumbledore seemed to smile with his eyes alone. "Please try to get along with Severus. You are both on the same side, after all."  
  
"I'll make every attempt, Albus," Sirius said. "But I'm afraid some things never change."  
  
He left, closing the door behind him. Dumbledore laughed quietly.  
  
"Funny... That's the same thing he said..."  
  
.............................  
  
Expect the next chapter to be late. I'll be gone for a week. 


	29. A Close Call

*has just finished book 5*.... NOOOOO!!!! NOT HIM!!! KILL OFF ANYONE BUT HIM!!!!! DAMN YOU, ROWLING, WHY'D YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM?!!!! BRING HIM BACK, DAMMIT!!! *cries* ;_;  
  
I printed this story out, and it was 156 pages in 10 font with all author notes cut out. I'm glad I didn't try to do that on my printer. ^^;  
  
And the 90,000 words exactly thing was COMPLETELY accidental. I'd noticed that too, when I first posted it. The word count in Word works differently than ff.net's, so I couldn't have planned that. It is kinda cool though. I've never seen that happen before. Another interesting fact is that this story, this INCOMPLETE story, makes up half of my total archived word count by itself! Before this chapter! So this story is now longer than all my other stories COMBINED and it's not even three quarters done! It may not even be more than half (oh, gods!).  
  
Good luck to all of you who entered Zoo's contest. The heavy competition (especially in the angst section) will make me feel not so bad when I inevitably lose.  
  
Chapter 29: A Close Call  
  
....................  
  
"I'm surprises Si- er, Professor White wasn't more professional," Hermione said.  
  
"Did you want him to expel us?" Ron asked, bewildered as to why Hermione would complain.  
  
"I thought he would do SOMETHING at least. He didn't even take away house points. That's unfair favoritism."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione. "Well, Snape does it for Slytherin, so I don't see why Sirius can't do it for us. Just be glad you kept your prefect title."  
  
Hermione pursed her lips, still disapproving, but she wasn't going to deny that she would have been terribly upset to have lost her title.  
  
It was the next day and they were all gathered around Hagrid's hut, waiting for class to start. Judging from the absence of the crates that normally contained the Irish Pygmies Hagrid was running late.  
  
Yugi, Malik, and Ryou were off to the side by themselves, also discussing the events of the previous day.  
  
"I find it all kinda interesting, myself," Malik commented. "Everybody's on edge. And with the double punishment, Malfoy's been hesitant to do anything. He's watching for opportunities, though. I can see it."  
  
"You're paranoid," Yugi said. "You realize that if you stopped this whole ordeal with him would be over, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah, but what fun would that be?"  
  
"Double punishment applies to you too, you know."  
  
"I don't get caught."  
  
"That tree caught you pretty good," Yami Bakura said slyly. He had taken charge for conversation's sake as they were supposed to be on the subject of the discussion he had had with Ryou the previous day. But Malik was completely healed, so he didn't want to miss the opportunity to rub the Whomping Willow event in his face.  
  
"It surprised me is all," Malik defended.  
  
Yami Bakura scoffed. "Surprised? Wasn't the name some kind of indication? I mean, 'Whomping Willow'... Just can't take a hint, can you?"  
  
"Oh shut up," Malik said, annoyed. "You didn't know either."  
  
"But I didn't get my butt kicked by a tree."  
  
//Can we get back to the matter at hand, please?\\ Ryou spoke up from his soul room.  
  
//Yeah, yeah...\\ Yami Bakura muttered in reply. "Back to what I was saying earlier," he said aloud. "Ryou's been having nightmares that I'm pretty sure are a clear indication that there are rough times ahead. And that Voldy-whatever guy is probably the source. It makes sense with that Tarot card reading a few weeks back."  
  
"I thought you weren't going for this fate stuff anymore," Malik said.  
  
"Don't blame me, blame Ryou. It's his damn dream."  
  
"So we're sure it's this dark wizard?" Yugi questioned. The last he'd heard, they still thought it was Malik.  
  
"It looks that way," Yami Bakura replied dryly. "There are still a few parts of the dream that don't quite make sense, though. Like why Ryou found that he couldn't move. And the cold. I can't explain the cold."  
  
"The not moving thing might be that spell that Malfoy's always accusing me of," Malik offered. "It's supposed to be really powerful or something and only the dark wizards use it. And from what I understand, it allows the user to control the person they use it on."  
  
"That could be it," Yami Bakura said. He placed a hand on his chin, as if pondering the possibility.  
  
"So what are we supposed to do?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Nothing," Yami Bakura answered. "Just wait and see."  
  
Hagrid finally appeared, stumbling out from the back of his hut. Yami Bakura returned to his soul room and allowed Ryou to resume control for the lesson. "Sorry 'bout bein' late," Hagrid muttered to his class. "We'll have to take a break from the Irish Pygmies. They're teething."  
  
"They did that already," Malfoy said. "How many times do these beasts grow new teeth?"  
  
"Three," Hagrid replied simply. "An' it gets worse as it goes along. It makes 'em a bit more irritable an' snippy, so's best to leave 'em alone for the time bein'." Hagrid displayed his own bandaged fingers as evidence. "I've got something else, though. Come along, follow me."  
  
The students did as they were told and followed Hagrid to the back of his hut. The were immediate squeals of delight from many of the girls, as well as groans from the boys as they saw the great white horse with a spiral horn tied just outside the Forbidden Forest.  
  
"But we did unicorns already, Hagrid," Ron moaned.  
  
"Not all of ya did," Hagrid said, motioning to Yugi, Ryou, and Malik. "An' it wouldn't hurt the rest of ya to review what with your O.W.L.s and all." More groans were heard with the mention of the exams. "I did have to put this together at the last minute. I was lucky I found this one wanderin' nearby. I thought it would be a good chance to show you a unicorn that's a bit more friendly than the other's you've seen. You see, this stallion here's been in close contact with humans all his life. See tha'?" Hagrid pointed to what looked like a brand featuring crossed wands on the unicorn's flank. "Means this animal's been used to gather magical ingredients from."  
  
The students all leaned in for a closer look. Hagrid beamed with pride to see them so interested in his lesson. "It's illegal to try to keep a unicorn domestic, so they have to get ingredients from wild ones. But they start when they're young, so the animals get used to it. I know this one's tail hairs have been used in wands. And I think his horn's been cut off a few times as well, but as you can see, it grows back. Doesn't hurt 'em a bit. Now, who can tell me the differences between the stallions and the mares? In the eye's of an ingredients collector?" he added when he saw a few of the students giggling among themselves.  
  
Predictably, Hermione's hand shot in the air. "Ingredients can be gathered from both," she said, "but the stallion's will fetch a higher price because it is supposed to be more potent. And the mare's tail hairs are rarely used in wands. Also, it's illegal to take a horn from a mare with a foal."  
  
"Excellent, Hermione!" Hagrid said. "Five points for Gryffindor. And I'll make it ten if you can tell me what a group of unicorns is called."  
  
"A Glory," Hermione replied confidently. "But unicorns only gather in groups in the spring after the snow melts. At all other times of the year, they're solitary."  
  
"Very good," Hagrid beamed. "Ten it is. Now, this unicorn should be a bit more used to boys than the others were. Most ingredient gathers are men, and they're usually very gentle. So you boys can try to get a bit closer than ya'll did last time. Come on now, don't be nervous. Girls, let the guys through for a moment, tha's it. Now, ya'll should all be alright to touch it. It might get a bit skittish though if it senses somethin' 'bout ya. Unicorns can sense an impure soul."  
  
One by one, the boys took hesitant steps forward towards the great horned beast but none seemed willing to be the first to reach out and touch it. Just how much did it take to make a soul "impure?" None of the boys seemed too eager to get too close, feeling as if they were being judged. Hagrid attempted to urge them farther but to no avail. Finally, Harry took it upon himself to step forward. He took a deep breath and reached out to stroke the unicorn's pearly-white coat and was relieved when it didn't back away from him. The unicorn's hair was slightly coarse with age, but still pleasant to the touch. Encouraged by Harry's example, the other boys neared. Ron joined Harry, running his own hand along the stallion's flank. Then they moved on so the other boys could have their chance.  
  
The majority of the Gryffindor boys didn't have any problems, nor did most of the Slytherins, although the unicorn did snort and back away from a few of them. Malfoy was among those rejected. Nobody bothered to question why.  
  
Yugi, Ryou, and Malik hung in the back as the other boys had their turn. "Just how good is it at reading souls?" Ryou wondered aloud.  
  
"I'd like to know that, too," Yugi answered. "I think I would be able to get close. I don't know about...you know."  
  
"Doesn't matter with me," Malik answered. "That thing's never going to let me near it. Theft and conspiracy have no doubt tarnished my soul...among other things."  
  
"You go, Bakura," Yugi urged. "You're probably the best out of us."  
  
"You're two fairly decent people," Ryou answered. "I'm one decent person and one...well, I'm not sure how to put it nicely."  
  
"Just go, Bakura," Malik said. "If it decides it doesn't like you, it'll just snort at you, in which case you back away slowly. No harm done."  
  
"Well..." Bakura glanced nervously at the dwindling line ahead of him. He did want to try. How many chances was he going to get to touch a real unicorn in his lifetime? Cautiously, he stepped forward.  
  
The unicorn was truly beautiful up close. Its gleaming white coat reflected the gentle autumn sunlight. Its eyes were a misty blue and its hooves a cool grey. Ryou continued his approach slowly, looking for any signs of rejection from the stallion. His confidence built as the unicorn continued to allow him closer. He was now an arm's length from the great beast. He reached a trembling hand forward.  
  
The unicorn whinnied in protest before Ryou's hand could ever make contact. It tossed its head back, pulling against the ropes that bound it to the tree. Ryou pulled his arm back immediately and made a hasty retreat. The stallion continued to eye him as he backed off, watching his every movement until he was a safe distance away. Malfoy and his goons observed it all, snickering the whole time. Ryou furrowed his eyebrows, hurt.  
  
"Well, if it wouldn't let you near, I'd say my chances are slim and none," Malik muttered.  
  
"Yeah," Yugi agreed. "I don't think Yami'll make it past."  
  
"It was more afraid of me than of Malfoy..." Ryou mumbled, more to himself than his companions.  
  
"Don't sweat it, Bakura," Malik whispered, clapping Ryou on the back. "It's not really you after all."  
  
"I suppose..." Ryou replied, though he didn't look at all comforted.  
  
A short distance away, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had witnessed Ryou's failed attempt. "I wonder what about him spooked the unicorn so much," Hermione said.  
  
"Anyone who eats raw steak and laughs when he's in pain has to have something up with him," Ron muttered. "Nice guy or not, you can't deny he's weird and the unicorn didn't seem to like him at all."  
  
"Malik and Yugi look as if they're not even going to try," Hermione observed.  
  
"Looks like Bakura was the guinea pig," Ron commented.  
  
The whole thing made Harry wonder, but he quickly pushed all his suspicions out of his mind. He was supposed to leave it alone. But still...he couldn't help think, 'What could all three of them have in common that they knew if Bakura couldn't get close, they couldn't either?'  
  
The girls were given their turn to get close next and not one of them had any problems. Hagrid lectured for the rest of the class; he went on about the various magical ingredients that come from unicorns, proper handling, and the many laws that had to be followed (Harry was sure that Hagrid sounded a bit bitter when he began talking about the laws. There was little doubt in Harry's mind that Hagrid had broken them on more than one occasion.)  
  
Class ended and Hagrid dismissed the students, returning inside his hut to replace the bandages on his hands. Harry, Hermione, and Ron hung back.  
  
"There's something I wanted to show you," Hermione said, reaching into her bag. "I don't suppose either of you have been reading the Daily Prophet?" Harry and Ron shook their heads. "Well, if you had let me read this yesterday, you might not have been so eager to wander away from school. Seems that England isn't the only place where the Death Eaters are getting more active. Look at this."  
  
Hermione unfolded the paper and held so her comrades could see. Displayed at the top was the headline: Magical Murders at Muggle Museum. Below it was a large photo featuring what must have the museum in question surrounded by various magical officers who appeared to be investigating the scene. Standing alone off to one side was a solemn young woman with long black hair and an abundance of jewelry decorating her hair and throat.  
  
"A museum?" Harry questioned.  
  
"In Egypt," Hermione explained. "Apparently, a bunch of Death Eaters broke in and stole something, murdering a few muggle guards with the killing curse in the process. It doesn't say what they stole though. The ministry must be trying to keep it quiet."  
  
"Hey! I've been there!" Ron suddenly exclaimed. "When I went to Egypt, Bill took us there! That's the museum he delivers some of the treasure he finds too. The stuff that the Gringotts doesn't want."  
  
"Do you think he knows what was taken?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Probably. Doubt he knows why, though."  
  
"What are all of you waiting for?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked up to see Yugi addressing them as he made his way back towards them, followed by Malik and Ryou. "Hagrid did dismiss us, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Harry answered. "We were just talking."  
  
"You're from Egypt, Malik," said Ron, "why don't you come take a look at this?"  
  
"What about Egypt?" Malik asked curiously.  
  
"There were some murders kinda like yesterday's," Hermione answered. "Same curse, just no Dark Mark because they killed muggles." She positioned the paper so that Malik could see. His eyes went wide as soon as he laid his gaze upon it.  
  
"That's my sister's museum!" he exclaimed, snatching the paper from Hermione so he could get a better look.  
  
"Your sister?" Harry, Ron, and Hermione said in unison. Malik paid little attention to them.  
  
"Good," Malik said as he scanned the page, "she and Rishid are alright. Kinda creepy how she's moving in this picture. They did kill the night watchmen, though. Dammit, what the hell would wizards want at the museum anyway?"  
  
"Your guess is as good as ours," Harry said, shrugging. "The Death Eaters always have something up their sleeve."  
  
"You could ask your buddy Malfoy," Ron said. "His old man's one of them."  
  
"Malfoy?" Malik questioned.  
  
"Him and the majority of the rest of the Slytherins have at least some family in the Death Eaters," Hermione replied. "Of course, we don't know that any of them were necessarily involved."  
  
"I'll have to make it a point to ask him about it," Malik said, sneering.  
  
"Even if he knows anything, I doubt he'll tell you," Harry said.  
  
"I have my ways," Malik muttered.  
  
"Now, don't go and do anything drastic," Ryou said, attempting to calm Malik down. "He may not even know anything about it."  
  
"Just calm down, borrow Nightshade, and send a letter to Isis and ask her about it," Yugi spoke up.  
  
"I could send an owl to my brother," Ron offered. "He works...there...too... Hey, didn't your sister say in a letter that she was going out with a redhead? You don't suppose...?"  
  
"I don't even want to think about that now," Malik said through clenched teeth.  
  
"Sticking around to see if that oaf of a groundskeeper can determine what exactly Ishtal is?" Malik quickly turned to see Malfoy approach, smirking. "After all, he does have experience with exotic wild animals."  
  
Malik sneered, but said nothing. Curious as to why his adversary was already riled up, Malfoy scanned the area, his eyes finally falling on the copy of the Daily Prophet clinched in Malik's fist.  
  
"Oh, is that yesterday's issue?" Malfoy said knowingly. "There was a rather interesting section about an attack on muggles in that sand pit you call home. Worried you might be next?"  
  
"It'd take a lot more that a group of wizard rejects to take me down," Malik spat. "Care to enlighten me as to why the Death Eaters were in Egypt?"  
  
"Now how would I know that," Malfoy said with obvious false sincerity.  
  
"Your 'daddy dearest' is in with them, isn't he?" Malik said.  
  
Malfoy narrowed his eyes. "Been talking with Potter, eh? I'm sorry but there's been no proof that my father is involved in that organization, just Potter's word."  
  
"I noticed that you didn't say he isn't," Malik said simply. Malfoy only smirked and shook his head.  
  
"I know many things, Ishtal. Much more than you could even comprehend in that primitive little brain of yours. But I'm not in the mood to share."  
  
"I can help you with that," Malik replied, reaching into his pocket.  
  
"I'm not about to let you do that again!" Malfoy exclaimed, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Malik. Hermione immediately began to scold Malfoy and threaten to report him. Harry and Ron seemed satisfied with letting her handle it. Ryou and Yugi tried to nonverbally coax Malik not to do anything with a series of looks and gestures. Malik appeared unfazed.  
  
"You willing to risk double punishment, Malfoy?" Malik questioned.  
  
"Not if I claim self-defense," Malfoy said. "Accio wand!"  
  
Malik's bag, which he had tossed haphazardly on the ground, gave a few quick jerks in Malfoy's direction as if something inside it were trying to get out. Malfoy eyed it, somewhat surprised, and lowered his wand. As he did, the bag settled to a stop. Malik didn't have to know much about spells (which was good, because he didn't) to know what Malfoy had been trying to do.  
  
"My wand's in my bag, you idiot," Malik said, resting one hand on his hip as if he were bored while the other remained in his pocket.  
  
"Well, let's see what you've been hiding then," Malfoy replied. "Expelliarmus!"  
  
The disarming charm caught Malik completely by surprise. The millennium rod was grasped tightly in his hand and concealed in his pocket of his robes one minute, and the next, it seemed to shoot out of his grip and go flying towards the woods, tearing his robes in the process. Malik swore loudly and went after it. All that Harry, Ron, Hermione, Malfoy and his goons had seen was a streak of gold. Ryou and Yugi, however, knew, and they tore off after Malik. Seeing that there was obviously a big secret behind all of this, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle followed in pursuit. Which left Harry and company with nothing to do but follow as well.  
  
Malik spotting the glinting golden rod on the very edge of the forest and he made a mad dash for it. Unfortunately, Malik was making a bad habit of not watching his surroundings. As soon as he was within reach of the rod, the heavy pounding of hooves and furious snorts told him his mistake. His eyes went wide. The unicorn stallion had been on the edge of its rope, just inside the forest. With nowhere to go, it was becoming hysterical with the fear brought on by Malik's hasty approach. He'd been right; the unicorn didn't like him either. It tossed its head and reared up on its hind legs, making every attempt to get away, tugging desperately against the rope that held it. Malik was in serious danger of getting trampled, but he wasn't retreating with out his millennium rod.  
  
"Malik, get out of there!" Yugi shouted. Yugi's yells seemed to free Malik from his temporary stupor. He cautiously reached forward, closing his fingers around the millennium rod. The stallion whinnied in a combination of fear and anger, a storm seeming to brew in its eyes. Its hooves thundered down so hard Malik was sure he felt the ground shake.  
  
Hermione ran to Hagrid's cabin to get help. Harry and Ron yelled for Malik to get away, not knowing what else they could do. Malik tried not to make any sudden movements to further upset the unicorn. Slowly, he retrieved the millennium rod and pocketed it once more before anyone could get a good look at it. Malfoy decided that seeing Malik getting trampled by a unicorn would be almost as good as revealing whatever secret he was hiding, and he grinned, satisfied.  
  
Malik began to back away. What was actually taking place in a few moments seemed to last an eternity. The unicorn continued pulling furiously at its rope. All the while its eyes darted about, looking for an escape route. As Malik retreated, the stallion saw a path away from him and attempted to take it, only to discover an equally great fear in that direction: Ryou, who had wandered around looking for an opportunity to help. His eyes widened as the stallion reacted to seeing him. It reared and turned, its hooves nearly landing on Malik again. Malik fell backwards to avoid the stampeding unicorn. Ryou backed away hastily, trying to give the unicorn an opportunity to escape again, but it was too late for that. The stallion was in hysterics, seeing what it saw as threats in every possible direction.  
  
Yugi tried to think fast. If he tried to get close to help, he would only upset the unicorn further. And he couldn't ask Harry or Ron to endanger themselves. He saw only one option. He slipped the millennium puzzle over his neck and placed it aside before rushing to Malik's aide. At least he wouldn't have to worry about the unicorn sensing Yami. Yugi grabbed Malik (who was still recovering from the shock of almost being stepped on) and attempted to pull him out of the way. Malik seemed to regain his senses, and threw making no sudden movements to the wind, standing and backing off as fast as his feet would carry him finally coming to a rest on the ground twenty feet away from the stallion. "Geez," he muttered softly, panting, "Trees, unicorns, what's next? This whole place is against me..."  
  
Malfoy and his goons roared with laughter, shouting their taunts and insults at Malik, who's face was red with a mixture of anger and humiliation. Malfoy's gang immediately fell silent, however, when Hagrid appeared from his hut, his hands only half bandaged.  
  
"What's going on here?" Hagrid asked the lot of them, though he didn't need to. The skittish unicorn, the out of breath Malik, and the group of Slytherins still trying to hide their laughter told the story.  
  
"Malfoy hit Malik with a disarming charm without cause, Hagrid," Hermione said, reporting as she had threatened to do. "Malik tried to retrieve what he lost, and accidentally upset the unicorn."  
  
"I had cause," Malfoy defended. "Every time Ishtal reaches into his pocket, something weird and probably illegal happens. I just wanted to see what was causing it. I didn't tell the moron to go next to the unicorn."  
  
Hagrid scratched his head, contemplating what he should do next. But before he could get too far, Malik spoke up.  
  
"Never mind it, Hagrid. Just a misunderstanding." Looks of surprise of various degrees passed over the onlookers.  
  
"What are you doing?" Yugi whispered. "You're just going to let him get away with it? That's not like you. Finally deciding to stop the fighting?"  
  
"Hardly," Malik whispered back. "I just don't want them to start investigating me. Chances are I'd end up having to show what Malfoy disarmed from me, and I'd rather not do that."  
  
"A misunderstandin' is it?" Hagrid said, still scratching his head in thought. "Well, if it was an accident, I guess there's no fault in it. Just be more careful and not so quick to suspect your fellows." Hagrid cast a look at Malfoy. "Gone on to lunch then, before ya miss it. I'll settle the unicorn down."  
  
The students didn't need to be told twice. Yugi reclaimed his puzzle and all of them quickly retreated down the sloping grounds back to the castle. Malfoy and Malik were both angry at the other for getting away, but both were relieved at having escaped trouble themselves.  
  
Malik, Yugi, Ryou, Harry, and company had barely sat down at the Gryffindor table when Professor McGonagall approached them.  
  
"You're late," she observed.  
  
"Got caught up in Magical Creatures, Professor," Harry replied quickly.  
  
McGonagall pursed her lips. "Mr. Mouto, Mr. Bakura, and Mr. Ishtal had a meeting with the headmaster scheduled for during this lunch period, but there is no time for that now. I suppose it shall have to be rescheduled for after classes this afternoon. You three be sure you're there."  
  
"I didn't know we had a meeting today," Yugi said.  
  
"The decision was made too late for the morning post owls," McGonagall said. "I was to tell you at the start of lunch, but as I've said already, you were late."  
  
"Sorry," Yugi muttered. McGonagall nodded and returned to the teachers' table. When she was gone, Malik sighed and shook his head.  
  
"Why do I have the sneaking suspicion that we're in trouble?"  
  
........................  
  
R&R! 


	30. In Dumbledore’s Office

*Dodges randomly thrown objects from readers* Sorry! Busy, busy. Had no time to write! Thank you for your patience, I'm back now! Am not giving up!  
  
Questions:  
  
Yugi didn't need to hide the puzzle when he took it off. He's the only one of the three who didn't feel the need to hide his millennium item. Bakura and Malik would just rather keep theirs quiet if at all possible. Yugi figures if he can wander around Domino with it proudly displayed for all to see, he can do the same at Hogwarts. Hermione asked him about it in a previous chapter, but as far as anybody knows, it's just a pendent.  
  
I saw "Pirates of The Caribbean" too and I was impressed. I also saw "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" (worth seeing but doesn't live up to the hype) and "28 Days Later" (a disappointment, but you may like it if like independent British movies. Just be warned of full-frontal male nudity, and not just for a few seconds either).  
  
The glory of unicorns is from another book, but I believe that's the official name.  
  
I shan't say who died in HP 5. I will not spoil it. Go read the book. =P  
  
Over 2000 reviews! Thanks to all of you who reviewed and made this possible. I feel so loved!  
  
Chapter 30: In Dumbledore's Office  
  
...................................  
  
Yugi and Ryou found it difficult to concentrate in Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had told them that the headmaster did not normally meet with students personally for no big reason, so they were very curious (not to mention nervous) about what Dumbledore could want with them. So Professor White's less than enthusiastic lecture on the foundation of Azkaban to punish Dark Wizards failed to captivate them.  
  
Malik didn't have it any easier. The museum being attacked was still on his mind. What if something else had happened since the newspaper came out? What if there was another attack and that was why Dumbledore wanted to meet with him? Then why Yugi and Bakura? The sly way Malfoy kept smirking at him didn't help him to think any. Malfoy was scheming again. Malik was sure of it.  
  
When the last class of the day let out, rather than returning to the common room, Yugi and Ryou walked past the portrait of the Fat Lady and continued on towards the headmaster's office. Halfway along, they met up with Malik just outside the Transfiguration classroom. He was coping with his worry by hiding it underneath a mask of his usual attitude.  
  
"If we're in trouble, it's your fault," he said dryly to Ryou.  
  
"My fault?! How could you blame something you're not even sure about on me? How could it be my fault?" Ryou rapidly began to defend.  
  
"I haven't figured that part out yet. Just letting you know ahead of time that it'll be your fault."  
  
Ryou gawked at Malik. "But according to you, everything's my fault."  
  
Malik placed a finger against his nose. "Now you're getting it."  
  
Ryou huffed and crossed his arms in annoyance. Yugi chose not to get involved. Malik was helping them all to relax somewhat, even if it was slightly at Ryou's expense.  
  
They reached the stone gargoyle and were at a lost as to what to do next. There'd been a password last time, but none of them could recall what it was. Not that it would have done them any good. Passwords were always changing at Hogwarts, and surely the one that led to the headmaster's office was no exception. They didn't have to ponder the situation long, however. After a few minutes, they were startled when the stone gargoyle hopped aside seemingly of its own accord. No one was in sight, and they never heard a password said. The moving stairway behind where the gargoyle once stood was empty. They were too concerned with other things to worry about it long. Hesitantly, the three boys stepped inside, the gargoyle jumping back into place behind them with a resounding clash of stone against stone.  
  
The headmaster's door was closed when they reached the top of the stairs. Yugi and Ryou were unsure of whether to enter, Ryou being particularly cautious, having learned personally what unwelcome surprises could be found behind unfriendly doors. Malik, however, was tired of waiting and impatiently shoved his accomplices forward, much to their protest.  
  
"Please don't dawdle at the door," came the voice of Dumbledore, smooth and inviting. Ryou and Yugi cast uneasy glances at one another and took steps forward, this time of their own will. They opened the door.  
  
"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Yugi spoke up.  
  
Dumbledore nodded and motioned for them to sit at the three cushy chairs that had been conveniently placed in front of his desk. Each of the students took a seat and remained silent, watching their headmaster expectantly, fearing the worst. Dumbledore seemed to sense this. "You needn't be afraid," he comforted. "I only wish to speak with you. I hope you have no objections to enlightening me on a few things?" Yugi, Ryou, and Malik shook their heads, still not entirely relieved.  
  
"Now, it is the first time that we have had special cases such as yourselves at Hogwarts, so this is a learning experience for all of us. I'm afraid I let you get away last time without asking you all I should have. I've tried to research these 'Millennium Items' of yours myself, but there isn't much information on them available, is there?"  
  
"Well, no," Yugi said. "The less people who know about it, the better, right? If more people knew about it, some would try to get the power for themselves. And frankly, I've had enough of that." Ryou looked down as if suddenly finding the floor very interesting.  
  
"That's quite understandable," Dumbledore said. "I respect your wishes if you would rather not discuss it. However, I feel it would be in the best interests of all of us if I knew more. I would like to be able to help you as much as possible. But such a decision shouldn't be made lightly. I will give you some time to discuss it among yourselves. All of yourselves." With that, Dumbledore stood and made his way across the room busying himself with one of the many strange objects that adorned his shelves. Malik eyed Dumbledore suspiciously before turning to the others.  
  
"I don't like this," he whispered. "He's trying to get me to admit to what my rod can do so that he can get me in trouble for manipulating Malfoy."  
  
"I don't think it's like that," Yugi replied. "I think he really wants to help. That's what me and Yami came here for: to get some help understanding our magic."  
  
"What help can he be if all he knows is what you tell him?" Malik argued.  
  
"Well, maybe he can connect what I tell him to something else," Yugi said. "Or maybe it would give him a better idea of where to look."  
  
"I don't think he needs to know anymore than he already does," Malik said stubbornly. "He couldn't possibly know anything of use. Isis and I don't even know it all, and we are the ones who know the most about the millennium items."  
  
"Shadi knows more than you," Ryou said, speaking up for the first time.  
  
"Yes, but one, Shadi doesn't exactly volunteer information. Two, he's never around when you need him. And three, the information he does give is misleading. He's the one who told me that my father's death was the Pharaoh's will, remember?" Ryou chose not to reply and simply looked away again.  
  
"Well, Yami and me think we should tell him whatever he wants to know within reason," Yugi said.  
  
"I think we're better off not telling these wizards anything more," Malik replied. "They know too much already. If Dumbledore knows, how long before all the rest of them do? The risk far outweighs what's to gain."  
  
Malik and Yugi turned expectantly to Ryou, who was still refusing to make eye contact. "Well, what do you think?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Look up so we know who's talking," Malik added suspiciously.  
  
"It's me," Ryou replied, lifting his head as he was told to. "Not that you would have really been able to tell anyway if he wanted to keep a low profile, so he says."  
  
"You've been talking to him all this time?" Yugi said. Ryou gave a small nod.  
  
"Well, what do the two of you make of this?" Malik asked impatiently.  
  
"I agree with you," Ryou said, looking at Malik. "I would rather not discuss any of it if I didn't have to. I don't believe Dumbledore would really have anything to offer us. And even if he did have some information, I'm not sure I would want to know anything more about the millennium items. It would probably just be more bad news. On the other hand..." Ryou sighed heavily. "The other me agrees with Yugi, or rather, he agrees that we should see what Dumbledore wants to know. He feels we could always just say no if the questions get to invasive."  
  
Malik threw his arms in the air in frustration. "Of all the people... Since when is he up for giving information? Even I can't get anything out of him half the time!"  
  
Ryou shrugged. "Dumbledore trusted all of us from the start even though he knew what we were capable of and, in some cases, what we'd already done. The other me doesn't take trust lightly these days."  
  
"'Cept yours," Malik muttered. Ryou wasn't quite sure Malik meant but he managed to put on a look of indignation anyway.  
  
"Settled then? Three to two and the two oldest people here agree with me," Yugi said.  
  
"Alright," Malik said, defeated. "Don't rub it in. Go on, tell him whatever you want."  
  
"We need you," Yugi said. "As you've said, you do know the most."  
  
"Oh, fine. Whatever. I've broken almost all of the Ishtal traditions already, what's one more. But if this backfires on me, I may decide to try to kill you again, Yugi."  
  
With their minds more or less made up, they turned back to Dumbledore who's gaze apparently had never wandered away from the odd contraption before him. "You've come to a decision?" he asked without turning around.  
  
"Yes," Yugi answered. "What do you want to know?"  
  
..................................  
  
The firelight flickered, causing the shadows on the large stone tablet to dance in its light. The ancient images engraved upon the stone depicted a battle that had taken place millennia before the man who was now gazing upon them was even born.  
  
"This is the only tangible evidence that was found?" he asked his accomplice without bothering to take his serpent-like eyes off of the images.  
  
"Y-yes, sir," came Wormtail's sniveling reply. "The items are apparently a well guarded secret. We've been searching all of Egypt. This is all that has turned up thus far."  
  
"Are our experts already at work deciphering it?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Pictures have been sent to all the most learned of our group," Wormtail replied. If he expected any words of appreciation, he would be waiting a long time. His master merely continued eying the carvings under his scrutinizing gaze.  
  
There was a commotion at the door. The sounds of arguing. Wormtail rushed to see the cause. "It's Darcy, sir."  
  
"The 'muggle expert,'" the Dark Lord muttered with a touch of amusement in his voice. "You may allow him in."  
  
The doors opened and Darcy nearly fell in. He was an uncoordinated man, dressed in muggle garb save a wizard's hat perched on his head. He bowed respectfully to his master who had not turned to face him. He held his breath, waiting for permission to speak.  
  
"What is it you want, Darcy? My time is precious and there is a high cost for wasting it."  
  
"Lord, I beg you. Let me help in the investigation."  
  
"You, Darcy? Your area is muggle studies, not ancient cultures. What help could you possibly offer?"  
  
"As insufficient as they are at other things," Darcy began, making every possible effort to make it sound as if he were not disagreeing, "muggles have very advanced ways of finding information. I believe that with the help of my knowledge of their technology, I can aide the investigation greatly."  
  
"Do you really believe that muggles would have information of things that most wizards know nothing of?"  
  
"N-no, sir," Darcy stammered. "I...I suspect that maybe muggles have stumbled upon the items. Like-like the tablet. They would know not what they have. They may even try to sell them. I just believe it may be a good idea to look into the matter. I have the means to search every corner of the muggle world from my own home."  
  
"Very well. Wormtail, give Darcy a picture to work with and add him to the list of those to be informed of new information." Wormtail nodded hastily and grabbed a photo from the stack on the nearby desk, doing as he was told. Darcy accepted it gratefully.  
  
"Go, now," Wormtail instructed. Darcy nodded and made for the exit.  
  
"And Darcy," the Dark Lord spoke up, finally turning from the tablet to look at his subordinate with his slit-pupiled scarlet eyes, "don't disappoint me. I don't respond well to disappointment."  
  
................................  
  
Dumbledore took a seat behind his desk, the many instruments upon it whirring madly. Before the headmaster could even open his mouth, Malik spoke up.  
  
"You're not planning on sharing what we tell you with anyone, are you? I mean, everything said here doesn't leave this room, right?"  
  
"If that is what you wish. I thoroughly understand your caution. I shan't share a word of what we discuss," Dumbledore said, holding up a hand as if swearing an oath. Malik still didn't look happy as he slouched back in his chair but he said no more. "Perhaps we should start with you, Mr Ishtal?"  
  
"I knew this was coming," Malik muttered. Dumbledore made no signs that he had heard him.  
  
"Even though my knowledge of the subject is somewhat limited, I am fairly sure that the complaints of one Mr. Malfoy are not entirely unfounded. Am I correct in assuming that your special, ah, talent is control over another's actions?"  
  
Malik frowned. "He had it coming."  
  
"Did he?" Dumbledore questioned.  
  
"Yeah," Malik replied with a hint of boredom in voice. "And, I'm manipulative, so what? Not really in the sense that Malfoy's thinking. It's not just a matter of making them do what I want them to physically. My millennium rod gives me the power to implant my own thoughts and memories in another. I don't just make them act a certain way, I make them think a certain way. And when I remove the effect, they don't remember a thing."  
  
"Whatever the method you use, the effect is still the same, "Dumbledore said. "Using magic to manipulate another is a punishable crime. I cannot permit you to use such tactics against my students. I will not be able to allow you to continue to study here if you persist. I trust there will be no further incidents?"  
  
"It's self defense!" Malik insisted.  
  
"You will have to find other means to defend yourself while you are here, Mr. Ishtal. Perhaps if you focused more on your studies that would do to help keep you out of trouble."  
  
"If you had let me switch houses, we would have avoided trouble from the start," Malik argued. Dumbledore only eyed Malik, saying nothing. Malik rolled his eyes, sighed, but nodded. "Fine, fine, no more rod on Malfoy." 'There are other ways to keep him out of my hair, I suppose,' he added silently.  
  
"None of your brand of magic on any of the students," Dumbledore corrected. Malik scoffed, but nodded again.  
  
"I'm glad we are at an understanding" Dumbledore said. "Now let us move on. There are seven items in total, correct?" All three boys nodded. "The ministry reported to me that the other items were in the possession of adults. But that information was months, maybe even a year old, if not more. It seems that this is no longer true. Would you happen to know what happened to the items and the people who had them?"  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" Malik asked suspiciously.  
  
"The power of these items is not to be taken lightly," answered Dumbledore. "For safety's sake, I would like to know."  
  
"Well, Shadi has two items," Yugi said. "The millennium scales, and the millennium key."  
  
"Shadi?" Dumbledore questioned.  
  
"But good luck finding him," Malik said, leaning back casually and resting his head on his arms. "He only appears to those he wants to appear to. He's a mystery. Hasn't revealed his motives yet. Don't know that he ever will. Don't really care, though, so long as he leaves me out of it."  
  
"I take it you don't care for this 'Shadi' individual," Dumbledore observed.  
  
"I've manipulated a lot of people in my life. Shadi's one of the few to ever manipulate me," Malik answered, and left it at that, choosing not to go into details. Dumbledore sensed that this was a subject Malik would rather not dwell upon and he moved on.  
  
"Well, that is five items accounted for. That leaves two." Yugi and Ryou blushed but Malik spoke up first.  
  
"My sister had the millennium tauk," he said.  
  
"Did she?" Dumbledore said.  
  
"And she gave it to me," Yugi said finally, reaching into his bag and pulling the precious item out of a concealed pouch and displaying it before the headmaster.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you had this before?" Dumbledore asked as he eyed the necklace with what appeared to be curiosity.  
  
"'Cause I don't really use it," Yugi answered looking down at the object in his hand. "Isis used it to see through time. I've only had one vision of the future from it, and it already came to pass."  
  
"Then the last item...?" Dumbledore let the question hang. Malik and Yugi shifted their gazes around the room, both determined not to look at Ryou. Without saying a word, Ryou reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden orb, placing it on the Dumbledore's desk.  
  
Ryou took a deep breath. "It...belonged to a man named Pegasus. He's the one who turned the old method of battling monsters into a modern card game. He...he died, and I got the millennium eye. But I'm not going to try to use it. I'd have to lose an eye for that."  
  
"This man Pegasus was a relative of yours, then?" Dumbledore asked, "to have left this to you after his death?"  
  
Ryou looked solemnly at the ground. "The other me is a thief," was all he said. Dumbledore sensed that this, too, was a sensitive topic and he asked no more of it, though he could guess by the look of guilt on Ryou's face what had happened. Dumbledore would make no accusations, however. Neither Ryou nor his other personality had given Dumbledore reason to fear for the safety of his students.  
  
"Let us move on," Dumbledore said. "Now Yugi, judging from what you said earlier, I assume you have had trouble with people trying to steal your puzzle?"  
  
"Yes. I've practically been fighting to keep it since I got it," Yugi answered. "A lot of people either wanted to steal the puzzle, or kill me because I had it."  
  
"Have you two also been having such problems?" Dumbledore asked, addressing the others.  
  
Ryou swallowed, furrowing his eyebrows with guilt. "Well...the other me was the one trying to do the stealing."  
  
"And I was the one trying to do the killing," Malik admitted without revealing any feelings of guilt in his voice, though he did avoid eye contact with anyone.  
  
"I see..." Dumbledore replied. "It seems you three have quite a troubled past together. You seem to get along fine now, though."  
  
"Yeah, we're alright now," Yugi said with a convincing smile. "Just trying to get by, you know? Like anyone else."  
  
Dumbledore returned the smile, nodding his head slowly. "Excellent. I thank you three for answering my questions. You've been most helpful. That should be all for-"  
  
"Hold on a minute before you send us off on our merry way," Malik interrupted. "We answered your questions, now I want you to answer one for me."  
  
"What is it you would like to know?" Dumbledore answered, not the least put off by Malik's rudeness.  
  
"You seem to be on the inside around here," said Malik. "I want to know if you know anything more about that robbery back in Egypt than the newspaper reported."  
  
Dumbledore blinked his eyes curiously. "I'm afraid the ministry doesn't share as much information with me as they once did. I know no more about the robbery than the Daily Prophet reported."  
  
"Then you don't know what the Death Eaters would want there? What they stole?" Malik asked.  
  
"I don't," Dumbledore answered. "But they must have wanted what they took very much or they would not have risked revealing both their location and their motives. Why do you ask? Are you familiar with the museum in question? You sound concerned."  
  
"Yeah," responded Malik, disappointed with the lack of information. "My entire remaining family works there, so yeah, I'm concerned. I come here and all of a sudden a group of dark wizards show up right when Rishid and my sister have no magic to protect them, and no means to contact me. It's all very suspicious, you know?"  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Ishtal," Dumbledore said with honest concern in his voice. "You could, of course, use the school owls to send a message to your relatives."  
  
"I intend to do that. I would be sending it now, but I had this meeting," Malik said bitterly.  
  
"I agree that you should be doing that," Dumbledore said. "All of you may go now. I thank you again for your cooperation. I will see if I can find out anything more of the robbery, Mr. Ishtal, and I will let you know."  
  
"Thanks," Malik replied unenthusiastically as he stood.  
  
"If there's anything else you need to know, feel free to ask. We'll answer if we can," said Yugi. Malik cast him a death glance which Yugi ignored. "And if you find anything that may help us, anything at all, please let us know."  
  
"I am sorry I wasn't able to provide more information to you," Dumbledore said. "I suggest searching our library if you have the time to spare."  
  
"But you said you already tried to research it," Ryou said.  
  
"I did, but you would have an easier time searching for possible sources than I. Sources would not have to be as obvious to you. Here, take this." Dumbledore took a spare piece of parchment and scribbled on it with a large feathery white quill, handing it to Yugi when he was done. "This will give you access to the restricted section of the library. Even I do not know of all the books contained there offhand. If there is any information about your millennium items available, it will likely be there."  
  
"Thank you, Professor," Yugi said, staring down and the headmaster's signature on the parchment he now held in his hand.  
  
The three boys exited the way they came, the stairs now moving downwards as if it had been preparing for them.  
  
..................................  
  
Again, apologies for the lateness, but my summer's almost over. Let me be lazy and irresponsible while I still can. =P 


	31. Entrapment and Exposure

Yes...ff.net changed my name. They have me listed as White Angel2. But I don't care what they say, I shall not be answering to White Angel2. I am, and forever shall be, White Angel. =P  
  
*glares at ff.net* It seems that some (actually, probably all) of the reviews submitted in the first 24 hours after my last post didn't make it to my review box. 'Nother ff.net screw up to add to the already long list. So if you asked a question in one of those reviews, I can't answer it because I didn't get it.  
  
Chapter 31: Entrapment and Exposure  
  
...........................  
  
"For someone who didn't want to give any information, you sure seemed free to share it," Yugi commented to Malik as they reached the bottom of the stairs and the stone gargoyle jumped back into place once again behind them as they continued on.  
  
"I wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible," Malik muttered. "If I had waited for you two to spit out all the details, it'd be midnight before we got out of there. And your other self," he added, turning to Ryou, "was of no help whatsoever."  
  
"You seemed to have it under control," Ryou answered defensively. "And Yugi's other self didn't add anything either. I think we did alright without involving them too much."  
  
"You going to write to Isis now, Malik?" Yugi asked.  
  
"Yeah," Malik answered, craning his neck to look out a nearby window. "It's still light out, but it'll be dark soon. I suppose I should use and owl instead of Nightshade, then." Malik swung his bag around and rummaged in it for quill, ink, and parchment as he walked. "I'll head on up to the owlery now. I want to send them something tonight."  
  
"Not planning on making it a long letter, then?" Ryou observed.  
  
"Why should I?" Malik asked as he continued to search his bag, finally pulling out a quill, "They're the ones who should have a lot to say. Just a simple 'Tell me what's been going on' is all I need to write. See you guys later." With that, Malik left his comrades and made off towards the tower where the owlery was located.  
  
Yugi and Ryou continued on. "I do hope Isis and Rishid are alright," Yugi said.  
  
"I'm sure they are. Isis looked alright in the newspaper," Ryou replied. "She's probably having to deal with a lot of pressure and paper work, but that should be all. I still can't imagine what the Death Eaters would want there. Sure, there were many powerful magicians in Ancient Egypt, but most modern wizards don't know the half of it. And anyway, nothing in that museum should have been magical. Just scrolls and tablets and various other artifacts."  
  
"It's a mystery," Yugi agreed. "I suppose we'll find out more when Isis replies." They turned a corner on route to the Great Hall, for it would soon be time for supper, only to find a most unwelcome surprise.  
  
"Ah! Just who I wanted to see," Malfoy said as he noticed them. Crabbe and Goyle stood beside him, smirking stupidly. They had apparently just been immersed in conversation. "Come here," said Malfoy, gesturing to Yugi and Ryou with his index finger, "I want to talk to you two."  
  
"Uh...no, we really must be going," Yugi said. "We don't have time for this." Ryou mutely nodded his head in agreement.  
  
"Now, now, it is very rude to refuse an invitation," Malfoy said. He snapped his fingers and Crabbe and Goyle moved to block Yugi and Ryou's path, which they were able to do quite effectively, even in the large hallway.  
  
Yugi sighed heavily. "What do you want, Malfoy?" he asked at last.  
  
"I have a proposition for you. Answer one question truthfully for me, and I will leave both of you alone for the remainder of the school year. I think that sounds very generous, don't you?"  
  
Yugi smelled a rat. No way it was that easy. "What do you want to know?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
Malfoy smirked. "Just tell me what that gold thing in Ishtal's pocket was."  
  
"Nothing," Ryou said, rather defiantly. "It was nothing. Just something passed down in the Ishtal family."  
  
"I don't believe you," Malfoy scoffed. "If it was nothing, then why did he go to all the trouble to get it back before any of us could see it?"  
  
"So he's weird and secretive? Who didn't know that?" Ryou answered, narrowing his eyes in a suspicious manner.  
  
Malfoy sneered. "I'm afraid I don't like your answer. I'll give you one more chance. Care to try again?"  
  
Yugi shrugged. "There's no more to say," he replied  
  
"Wrong answer," Malfoy said angrily. "Crabbe! Goyle! Show them what we do to those who withhold information."  
  
Before Yugi could do anything, Goyle grabbed the front of his robes. Crabbe grabbed "Ryou" in the same fashion, but soon had to refigure his position in order to avoid being kicked in a sensitive area. A murderous look flashed in the white-haired teen's eyes as Crabbe twisted his arm around his back and pushed him forward. The hallway appeared to be growing darker...  
  
"Don't!" Yugi yelled. Malfoy and he goons apparently believed Yugi to be speaking to his captor when in fact he was speaking to the ancient spirit currently in control of his friend's body. Yami Bakura cast Yugi a look of blended anger and defiance. He wasn't going to be pushed around by Malfoy and his goons. The hall continued to grow darker as if the torches were slowly being snuffed out, the Slytherins completely oblivious to the approaching danger as they continued to steer their captives onward.  
  
It appeared that either one of two things were going to happen: either Yami was going to have to come out and stop Yami Bakura, or the tomb robber was going to get to do what he wanted to do since his first run-in with Malfoy. But neither would come to be. Yami Bakura's concentration broke as Crabbe unexpectedly shoved him into a door, thus pushing it open and effectively taking the spirit by surprise. The light returned to the hallway.  
  
Crabbe pushed Yami Bakura into the room. The thief had to struggle to keep his balance, flailing slightly. But it was in vain. No sooner had Yami Bakura steadied himself than Yugi was thrust in as well, crashing into Yami Bakura and taking them both down to the floor in a tangle of limbs and an assortment of swear words in several languages.  
  
The door was shut behind them. They could hear Malfoy muttering what sounded like a spell followed by low chuckling. "You two can stay in there for a while and think about being more truthful next time."  
  
Yami Bakura hastily shoved Yugi aside with a yelp of protest from the smaller boy. He stood and roughly grabbed the handle of the door only to find that it would not open. They were stuck inside.  
  
"Malfoy! Let us out now!!!" Yami Bakura bellowed, banging on the door with his fist.  
  
"Why don't you take out your wand and let yourself out?" Malfoy mocked. "That is, if you can." He laughed again. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find the facilities accommodating. Of course, this room is supposed to be out of order, so it may be a while before someone finds you. Hahaha!"  
  
"Malfoy!" Yami Bakura raged, still banging on the door. "When I get out of here, I'm going to send you to the depths of your own personal Hell!!!  
  
"Oh, that really makes me want to let you out," Malfoy replied sarcastically. "But you've gone and hurt my feelings. I think I'll be going now." Malfoy and his cronies laughed thickly, the sound slowly fading as they walked farther and farther away.  
  
"Get back here, you bastard!!!" Yami Bakura shouted, but to no avail. He beat his fist on the door one last time before letting it fall to his side, defeated and slightly bruised. He then turned angrily to Yugi. "Why didn't you let just let me take care of them?! If you hadn't interrupted me, we'd have been in the Shadow Realm before they'd of had time to shove us in here!"  
  
"You couldn't just summon the Shadow Realm in the middle of the school," Yugi replied meekly. "It would have caused too much trouble. Besides, they just locked us in a..." He looked around. "A bathroom. Could be worse. And really, no harm done."  
  
"A girls' bathroom," Yami Bakura corrected, shrugging his shoulder around in hopes of relieving the discomfort left by being led around by his twisted arm. "This is degrading. Alright, Mr. Wizard, how do we get out of here? If you didn't want me using my ring against them, I doubt you want me using it to get out of here when we can sit and rot waiting for someone to come around instead."  
  
"Um..." Yugi put a finger on his chin in thought. "I don't thing we need our items for this. I know I saw a spell on unlocking doors somewhere... In Charms, I think. I don't remember it though."  
  
"Is it in one of your books?" Yami Bakura asked impatiently.  
  
"I'm sure it is," Yugi answered. "But I read the first three Charms books, and I don't remember which one it was in."  
  
"Great!" Yami Bakura said, dropping his arms heavily to his sides in an exasperated manner. "Well, I suggest you get looking."  
  
"It'll be faster if you help," Yugi mumbled.  
  
"I'm not doing any book work," Yami Bakura replied stubbornly. "Ryou can help you."  
  
The millennium ring glowed under Yami Bakura's robes, causing an eerie glow about his neck where the light just barely peeked through. But rather than returning to the ring, he separated from Ryou, forming the transparent figure visible only to his host. Ryou cocked a questioning eyebrow at his other as he saw this.  
  
//Why...?\\ he began to ask through the mental link.  
  
"Seems like going from being locked in a bathroom to being cooped up in the ring isn't much of a step up," Yami Bakura answered before the question had been completely asked. "Besides, it's easier to make sure you move quickly and find a way to get us out of here this way."  
  
Ryou shook his head. //Sure that you were a grave robber in Egypt and not a slave driver?\\ Yami Bakura rolled his eyes, not the least bit in the mood for humor.  
  
Yugi watched as Ryou now appeared to stare into nothingness at his side. "You okay?" he asked.  
  
Ryou turned back to Yugi and nodded. "He just didn't want to go back in the ring so he's taking on the part of the supervisor."  
  
"Figures," Yugi muttered. "The other me says that your other self need to practice some self-control. There could have been big problems if someone had noticed him summoning the Shadow Realm."  
  
"Tell the other Yugi to kiss my-"  
  
"Let's start looking," Ryou said, interrupting his other's words, unheard by all but him.  
  
Or so he thought...  
  
"Do you have the first Charms book?" Yugi asked. "I left mine in the dorm. I only have two and three with me."  
  
"I have it," Ryou answered, slightly impressed with Yugi for carrying the two heavy advanced books when they were still technically only on the first one. Yugi's enthusiasm for Charms was to be admired.  
  
Yugi and Ryou sat on the floor and began thumbing through the books. But it was very slow going. Soon, Yami Yugi took a page out of Yami Bakura's book and separated as well, though he was not being nearly as stubborn. Ryou read through book one and Yugi was nose deep in book three. Yugi had also opened book two to the index and set it open on the floor. Yami (wanting to held in whatever way possible) eyed the small print, informing Yugi when the page turned up nothing. Then Yugi would pause to turn the page for his other (as Yami's spiritual form could not affect the physical world) and the former pharaoh would continue his search.  
  
Ten minute went by. Then twenty. Thirty. Finally, Ryou announced, "I think I found it."  
  
"You did?" Yugi leaned over to see better.  
  
"I think so," Ryou repeated. "It would have been easier if the index was arranged by what a spell DOES rather than its incantation, but I believe this is it."  
  
Yugi pulled the book over onto his lap and examined the page. "Yep! Finally! This is it."  
  
"'Bout time," Yami muttered.  
  
"Let me try-" Yugi was interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
"Yugi? Bakura? You in there?" They recognized the voice as Malik's.  
  
"Yes!" Ryou called back. "How'd you find us here?!"  
  
"Because Malfoy is a stupid git who can't help but gloat about what mischief he's been up to," came another voice.  
  
"Ron?" Yugi questioned.  
  
"None other," Ron answered. "Harry and Hermione are here, too."  
  
"We came as soon as we found out," Harry said. "We would have brought McGonagall but Malik said not to."  
  
"Malfoy said he was going to claim that you two attacked him first. I doubted any teacher would have believed him, but with the double punishment thing, I decided to leave it up to you whether or not to report him," Malik explained.  
  
"And I strongly suggest that you do," Hermione butted in. "The more Malfoy gets away with, the worse he's going to get."  
  
"We'll worry about that later," Ryou said. "In the meantime, could you get us out of here?"  
  
"Wait!" said Yugi. "I just found the right spell. I wanna try it."  
  
"I'm surprised you didn't remember it," Hermione commented. "You're very good at Charms."  
  
"Just because I can do the spells doesn't mean I can remember them all," Yugi replied.  
  
"Give 'em a break," Ron said. "He's only been at it 'bout a month and a half."  
  
"Will you tell Yugi to get on with it," Yami Bakura growled.  
  
"Can we please get out of here now?" Ryou said, mostly to appease his yami.  
  
"Right." Yugi pulled his wand out of his bag and rolled up his sleeves. He checked the book once more to make sure, then he flicked his wand at the door and shouted, "Alohomora!" Finally, the door swung open. Ryou and Yugi gave a small sigh of relief and made a hasty exit.  
  
"Would have been here sooner, but I'd just gotten back from the owlery," Malik said to his newly freed companions. "I told them as soon as I found out. Figured they'd know how to get you out."  
  
"Thanks," Yugi and Ryou replied.  
  
"We thought you'd been gone kinda long for that meeting," Harry said. "But it wasn't 'til we saw Malik show up in the Great Hall by himself that we knew something was up."  
  
"But it seems like you would have handled it okay on your own in time," Hermione observed. "That was a very well-done spell." Yugi blushed.  
  
Yami Bakura grew frustrated and impatient and he showed it by assuming control of Ryou. "Alright, tea time's over. I'm hungry and I want to get as far away from this wretched bathroom as possible," he said, stalking past the others. Malik darted after him, eager for a chance to tease Yami Bakura the way Yami Bakura had teased him about the Whopping Willow.  
  
"So, why do you think he locked you in a GIRLS' bathroom?"  
  
"I'm not in the mood, Malik."  
  
"Come on! I've never been in a girls' bathroom. What's it like?"  
  
"Shut up, Malik..."  
  
"How was the décor? To your liking?"  
  
"Malik, if you don't shut up, I swear to Ra..."  
  
"You shouldn't do that. Ra smites people for stuff like that. You've been smited at least once by him already if I recall..."  
  
"That was your fault."  
  
"Was not!"  
  
Malik and Yami Bakura continued bickering as they disappeared down the hall. Yugi, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stared awkwardly after them. "Heh, heh...they MEANT to say thanks for your help," Yugi said after they could no longer hear the arguing.  
  
"It's no problem," Harry said. "You better go to the Great Hall now if you plan on eating. They don't serve forever, you know."  
  
"Right," Yugi nodded. "Thanks again. Really appreciate your help."  
  
"Um, Yugi?" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes in a confused manner as Yugi started to turn away. "Did your, um, pendent just glow?"  
  
"My puzzle?" Yugi glanced nervously down at it. Yami had just returned to the millennium puzzle and it must have glowed when he entered it. "Um...no?" he replied, rather unconvincingly.  
  
"Oh," Hermione said. "I guess I was just seeing things. It must have just reflected the torchlight. Never mind."  
  
"See you guys later!" Yugi called over his shoulder as he hurried off to the Great Hall, following the path previously taken by his arguing comrades.  
  
Ron shook his head as Yugi also disappeared. "I don't care what either of you say. All three of them odd..."  
  
"Do you know them Harry?"  
  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron turned to see Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who haunted that bathroom, hovering before them just inside the bathroom doors. As usual, her face was locked in a frown and her eyes appeared as if she had been crying for hours. Her transparent form seemed to be sitting on nothing and she floated in midair, thick glasses fallen halfway down her nose.  
  
"Yeah, we know them," Harry answered, not exactly thrilled at seeing Myrtle again. The girl ghost was rather depressing and Ron had often voiced his suspicions that she had taken a fancy to Harry in previous years. Harry was quite convinced that it would never work out between them. "The two who were locked in here are new Gryffindors. The other's a Slytherin, but he's alright."  
  
"Not two..." Myrtle muttered softly, apparently unheard.  
  
"You could have told them the right spell," said Hermione. "Being around the school all the time, I'm sure you remember a spell that easy."  
  
"Well, locked doors aren't really a problem for me anymore, are they?" Myrtle moaned, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes.  
  
"I didn't mean anything by it. Sorry," Hermione quickly apologized putting her hands up in a calming gesture.  
  
"Of course I remember the spell," Myrtle said, seeming to forget her earlier offense. "But I was glad to have the company, even if they didn't know I was there. Nobody's come to visit me yet this year." She looked sorrowfully down at the three Gryffindors, only to be disappointed when they didn't look guilty. Myrtle huffed and looked away from them. "I just watched all of them from the U-bend in my toilet. They're weird, but interesting to say the least."  
  
"We'll it's probably better that you didn't reveal yourself," Ron said. "The two of them were a bit startled by Nick when they first met him. They might have been unnerved to learn that they were not only locked in a girls' bathroom, but a haunted girls' bathroom."  
  
"Not two..." Myrtle said again.  
  
"What do you mean 'not two'?" Harry asked.  
  
"I MEAN not two," Myrtle said simply. "There were four."  
  
"Four of what?" Harry asked, trying to hold onto his patience.  
  
"Of your friends," Myrtle answered, picking a spot on her chin.  
  
Harry cocked an eyebrow at Myrtle in confusion. "What do you mean there were four of our friends? Even if you count Malik, there were just three."  
  
"There were four trapped in here," Myrtle insisted indignantly. "The other one makes five."  
  
"Uh...I'm sure you were just seeing double, Myrtle," Hermione said, trying to choose her words carefully so that she wouldn't upset the ghost again. "Like, refraction from the water or something. Were you watching them from under the water?"  
  
"I've peeked out from that U-bend for years," Myrtle said, frowning more. "I think that I've learned the tricks of the light and water by now. And I assure you, there were four, two of them living."  
  
"Wait, wait," Ron said, holding up his hands to gain attention. "You mean to tell me that there were other ghosts in here besides you?"  
  
"Not ghosts..." Myrtle replied.  
  
"You're not making any sense," Harry said, puzzled. "If there were four people in here, and only two of them were alive, how could the others not be ghosts? We didn't see anybody else. Did they have invisibility cloaks, or something?"  
  
"No. I told you, they were dead," Myrtle answered.  
  
"So there were two invisible dead people in here, but they weren't ghosts?" Hermione said. Myrtle nodded. "Well, would you mind explaining? What did they look like?"  
  
"Like your friends." Myrtle was being most unhelpful today.  
  
"Okay," Hermione said, taking a deep breath and praying for patience. "Please tell us what they all looked like."  
  
"There were two with white hair, one living, one dead. And two with multi- colored hair, one living, one dead," Myrtle answered.  
  
"Bizarre..." Ron muttered. "I still think you were seeing things."  
  
"Was there anything different about the similar ones besides one being living and the other dead?" Harry asked, his gears turning and his suspicions rising.  
  
"Yes," Myrtle answered. "The dead white haired boy was meaner than the living one, and he kinda looked it, too. And the dead multi-color haired boy was taller. And both of the dead ones had spikier hair, if you can believe it. Other than that, I didn't see any other differences."  
  
"Hey, Harry..." Ron said, turning slowly to his companion. "Didn't you mention something about seeing Yugi and Bakura look like that at times?"  
  
"Yes," Harry said, his heart dropping down to somewhere around his stomach. He didn't like the direction this was going, but he had to ask. "Myrtle? How could they be dead and not ghosts?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Myrtle replied, bemused. "But they didn't have bodies of their own. I guess that's why they were sharing."  
  
"Sharing?" Ron said. "Come on, Myrtle! Stop playing around and tell us what's going on!"  
  
Tears welled up in Moaning Myrtle's ghostly eyes. "Is that all you want?! You just want me to tell you stuff! After that, I'm useless! I'll tell you what you want to know and you'll leave and never come back! And you'll tell those other boys that I was talking about them, and then they'll never come back! Well, I suddenly don't feel like talking anymore!" Myrtle wailed loudly and dove back into her toilet with a splash.  
  
"No! Wait! It's not like that at all!" Hermione shouted after her, but it was too late. Myrtle had already left for locations unknown by way of the plumbing. Hermione angrily elbowed Ron. "You should know better than to try to rush her like that!"  
  
"Well, she was certainly taking her good ole time," Ron argued back. "If we left it up to her, we'd never get out of here!"  
  
"She's lonely is all!" Hermione defended.  
  
"Well, she probably could have told us what was up with Yugi and Bakura at least," Harry said. "I know Sirius said to leave it alone, but if there are invisible dead people wandering around, I think we have the right to know. Especially if they aren't ghosts."  
  
"Well, I don't think we need Myrtle for that," Hermione sighed. The boys turned to her with questioning expressions. "Well isn't it obvious?" she said. "The two dead aren't ghosts, they look like Yugi and Bakura, Myrtle could see them, but we couldn't, and Harry's been noticing Yugi and Bakura looking exactly the way Myrtle described the so-called dead."  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, speaking simply as if to a child. "We just played this game with Myrtle. Just. Tell. Us. What's. Going. On..."  
  
Hermione sighed again, not appreciating being talked to like an idiot. "It's simple. Yugi and Bakura are possessed..."  
  
...............................  
  
R&R! 


	32. Possessed!

Yes, I changed my name because the 2 that ff.net stuck behind my name started to bug me. So I'm White Angel Chan now. =P That should be the last name change I have to make. So with my name stable, the Author Alerts should be working now, though you may have to update them.  
  
And thank you for the beautiful fanart, Shirubie! (located in last chapter's reviews for the curious) I love it! Do you mind if I put it on a site that I'm working on? And if so, what would you like me to link your name to? (i.e. e-mail address, personal website, ff.net account...)  
  
Chapter 32: Possessed?!  
  
...........................  
  
"They're WHAT?!" Harry and Ron exclaimed in unison.  
  
"Possessed," Hermione replied. "It does explain a lot, don't you think? I mean, the personality shifts, the mystery behind why they started so late and came so far, why Harry's been seeing them looking differently...although I can't explain why only Harry seems to see the difference."  
  
"You're talking about this like it happens everyday, Hermione!" Ron said. "Like it's just an average topic. I mean, how often does something like possession even happen?"  
  
"It's a very rare occurrence," Hermione answered. "I've only read about it once before in the wizarding world, and that whole book was pretty far- fetched, even by wizarding standards. There are more muggle stories about it, but those are usually based in religion and involve demons and such. I don't think this is the same. I mean, Dumbledore wouldn't let someone with a demon living inside them parade around school." She had a questioning look on her face. "Would he?"  
  
"I wouldn't put it past him," Harry replied. "He's already hired a half- giant, a werewolf, and a convicted murder on the run from Azkaban. But he knew all of them were okay...so I guess if he let Yugi and Bakura in, they must be okay, too. But then why..." Harry stopped himself.  
  
"Why what, Harry?" Ron asked.  
  
Harry had been about to mention how the boggart had turned into the mean- looking version of Bakura. If these... demons or whatever were so safe to be around, then why was Bakura afraid of it? Why had it looked so...dangerous? But he'd promised not to tell. Not anybody. And he wanted to keep that promise. "I was just wondering aloud why it's just me who sees the changes in them? Well, besides them, of course. I know that I've seen Yugi and Bakura react when they see the other, er, change."  
  
Hermione put a finger to her chin in thought. "Could it be that you're just special? That's happened to you before."  
  
"I don't think so..." Harry murmured. "Maybe I just, er, happened to catch the change once, and from then on, I knew what to look for..."  
  
"Well, if that's the case, there must some kind of magical defense," Hermione said, matter-of-factly. "Like, only those who know about it, or have seen it before, can notice."  
  
"Well, then, you and Ron know about it now, so maybe you can see it, too," Harry said hopefully. He didn't want to be the only one.  
  
"Maybe..." Hermione said. "We'll just have to see."  
  
"Okay, am I the ONLY one who's more than a little unnerved about having demon-possessed guys sleeping a few beds away from me?" Ron asked, a little hysterical. "We already know at least one of them eats raw meat. I should have known then that something was up. Here I thought it was a Japanese thing."  
  
"I still don't think that they're demons, Ron," said Hermione. "Myrtle and Harry's descriptions didn't make it sound like that."  
  
"Myrtle. That's another thing. Why could she see them. Demons and ghosts don't exactly float on the same plan of existence," Ron said. "Or do they? I've never really been into this ghosts and monsters thing, so I don't really know."  
  
"Well, that's part of the reason I don't think they're demons. Myrtle shouldn't have been able to see them then. Or at least if she could, everyone could," Hermione stated. "But SPIRITS are another thing."  
  
"Spirits?" Harry asked. "But Myrtle said they weren't ghosts."  
  
Hermione shook her head. "Ghosts and spirits aren't exactly the same. I read about this in Defense Against the Dark Arts. This year's book, in fact, although you guys probably haven't gotten that far. But, back to the point. A ghost would probably be able to see a spirit because they're rather similar, but not the same. Saying a ghost and spirit are the same thing because they're both dead is like saying a wand and a potion are the same thing because they're both magical."  
  
"Come again?" Harry questioned, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
Hermione sighed. "There are differences, important ones, that separate ghosts and spirits. Ghosts are...more universal. They're basically a continuation of the person's life, minus the body. You don't have to be special to see them or hear them as long as they let you. Ghosts can interact fairly freely with the physical world. But spirits...you have to be special to interact with them. Not everyone can. You have to be...in tune with them, so to speak. Seers, real ones, not like Professor Trelawney, are sometimes said to get their wisdom from the spirits, although that's not the same as possession. That's more communication."  
  
"Then what about possession?" Ron asked impatiently.  
  
"Let me finish," said Hermione firmly. "Spirits often have some kind of physical attachment to the world. Like, spirits of the forest, or spirits of the river, stuff like that. They have something that keeps them earthbound and usually, that something has to have some magical qualities. And, in theory, when a person who has just the right qualities themselves comes into contact with that 'haunted' something, a bond can be formed, and possession can occur."  
  
"What kind of 'something'?" Harry asked. "What could someone come in contact with that can lead to a possession?"  
  
"Almost anything that has magic," Hermione answered. "Like a magical tree, or a talisman, or a..."  
  
"A puzzle?" Ron finished.  
  
Hermione's mouth dropped. "You know, I bet that's it! I could have sworn I saw the thing glow. And the spirit would be able to possess Yugi through that! You see, spirits can't affect the living world the way ghosts can. They have to have a...a vessel of some sorts. So when a spirit has a purpose other than...sharing wisdom or whatever, they can share a body with a living person in order to complete their task. But very few people can play hosts to such a spirit."  
  
"This possession thing sounds an awful lot like what Voldemort did with Quirrell," Harry said suspiciously.  
  
"I don't think it's quite the same," answered Hermione, wincing at the Dark Lord's name. "You-Know-Who wasn't really dead then, was he? That's why he was having Quirrell drink unicorn blood. He was...bodiless, but not dead. At least that's what I think. I doubt anyone knows for sure, with the exception of You-Know-Who himself and maybe Dumbledore."  
  
"Well, if Yugi's being possessed through that puzzle, then what about Bakura?" Ron asked.  
  
"I thought I saw Yugi pass something to him right after they were sorted. Maybe that was it. Bakura seemed really keen to keep it hidden," said Hermione. "Can you really blame them? I mean, would you want anyone to know that you were possessed? That must be why Dumbledore and Si- Professor White wanted to keep it quiet. It was the same with Lupin."  
  
"Why do the 'spirits' look like Yugi and Bakura?" Ron asked. "If they were just some random dead guys, then why do they look alike? According to Myrtle, that is."  
  
"Maybe it's part of the bond between them. Or maybe they're ancestors. Oh, I don't know, I was never into this occultish stuff either. Only reason I know what I know if from books that I picked up for other reasons."  
  
Harry groaned. "This possession thing is just...too creepy. I think we were better off just thinking they were weird."  
  
"Amen," Ron agreed.  
  
"Well, now, I don't think we have the right to treat them any differently," said Hermione. "We weren't prejudice against Hagrid or Lupin. This isn't any different if you think about it."  
  
"I don't know about you two, but when I found out Hagrid was a half giant and Lupin was a werewolf, I was a little unnerved as well," Ron replied stubbornly.  
  
"But you liked them before," Hermione argued. "And you like them now. So what's the difference? You play chess with Yugi and seem to have a lot of fun. And you, Harry. You play Quidditch with Bakura. The fact that you now know, or have an idea of, what makes them different shouldn't change a thing. So I don't know what you guys plan to do, but I'm going to pretend that I don't have a clue about what's going on. I'm going to stay friends with them. And if either of you have a shred of decency, you will too."  
  
Harry sighed. "You're right. They've given us no reason not to trust them. Them being... possessed...changes nothing."  
  
Ron still didn't look comfortable, but he nodded as well. "But...does this mean Malik is like that, too?"  
  
"Malik?" Harry and Hermione questioned.  
  
"Well, yeah," Ron replied. "He has mysterious circumstances, too. And he knows Yugi and Bakura outside of school. So that mean he's possessed, too? He always seemed to act the same to me. I mean, no personality shifts, or anything."  
  
"I've never seen him look different," Harry mused. "So... I dunno..."  
  
"Maybe it has to do with that gold thing that flew out of his pocket," Hermione suggested. "I don't know, but he did seem like he wanted to keep it hidden. When did you get to be so observant anyway, Ron? The puzzle, Malik..."  
  
Ron blushed and scratched his head. "Aw...I don't know. Maybe it's all the exposure to weird stuff over the last couple years..."  
  
"In other words, he's learned to be suspicious of everyone and everything," Harry finished. Ron shifted uncomfortably, not sure if he wanted to deny it or not. Harry sighed. "I think we should have listened to Professor White and left well enough alone. I think we were better off not knowing. But, I suppose there are stranger things. I can't think of any at the moment, but I'm sure there are. So we...just ignore it?"  
  
"I think that would be best," Hermione agreed. "They've been so nice to us. And if those, um... spirits were dangerous, I would think Malfoy would have paid for it by now."  
  
Ron looked uncertain. "I would still sleep a lot better if I knew they were the spirits of some peace-loving clergymen or something. Not some rabid, raw meat devouring, psychopath."  
  
...............................  
  
"AH-CHOO!" Yugi and Ryou sneezed, oddly in sync.  
  
"Oh?" Malik said, glancing at both of them curiously. "Somebody must be talking about you two...ah...AH-CHOO!"  
  
"Seems they're talking about you as well," Yugi smiled, rubbing his nose. "Anyway, that's just superstition. Sneezing doesn't mean that someone's talking about you."  
  
"Yeah," Malik muttered. "And not that long ago, giants, dragons, and unicorns weren't real. I think I'll keep an open-minded approach to superstition."  
  
"Did it not occur to you that it could be all the pepper in that soup?" Ryou asked smartly. Malik glared at him.  
  
"You're getting more and more like him, you know that? You're back in control of your body for five minutes and you already sound like him without much prompting." Ryou blushed, staring back at Malik indignantly. He chose not to comment.  
  
"So are we going to take Dumbledore up on that library thing?" Yugi asked, taking out the paper with the headmasters sprawling signature. "How about tomorrow? After classes? It'll be Friday, so we'll have the whole weekend for that and homework."  
  
"I...I can't," Ryou said, blushing even more. "I...I have practice. The game is next Saturday...against Slytherin."  
  
"Already?" Yugi asked, eyes widening. Ryou nodded, lips pursed nervously.  
  
"You ready for it?" questioned Malik.  
  
"About as ready as I would be for a root canal," Ryou murmured. "I really need the practice tomorrow. It's one of the last ones. And Fred and George'll have a fit if I miss it. So you guys go ahead without me."  
  
"You sure?" Yugi asked. "We could wait until Saturday or Sunday to start searching."  
  
Ryou shook his head. "Practices both days. And homework in between. I can't. They're even having us practice on Halloween this Wednesday, and that's supposed to be a school holiday."  
  
"Wow, they're working you hard," Malik muttered. "I'm glad I stunk at flying. I don't think I could take that kind of pressure." Ryou frowned.  
  
"I don't think you're helping, Malik," said Yugi, giving the blonde a look. "It's okay Bakura. We can handle it. You go to your practices and when the game comes around, you'll beat Malfoy!"  
  
Ryou sighed and smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad SOMEBODY'S being supportive." He glanced at Malik as he said this.  
  
"Hey! I'm still trying to figure out how I can support you without getting the crap beat out of me by my housemates," Malik defended. "Now that Dumbledore's outlawed my rod, I need a new plan or risk getting tossed out."  
  
"And here I thought you could take any one of them," Yugi joked, smiling all too innocently at Malik.  
  
"I CAN take any one of them," Malik answered. "Unfortunately, they attack in twos and threes."  
  
"It's alright if you don't openly support me," Ryou said, taking a sip of his pumpkin juice. "I wouldn't want you to get beat up over a game."  
  
"Why not? You probably will." Ryou gulped, nearly choking.  
  
"Malik..." Yugi whispered. "Not...helping..." Malik only snickered.  
  
..........................  
  
Yugi and Malik (well, mostly Yugi) had spent almost all of the next afternoon searching in the library, taking time off only to work on a particularly nasty catch-up essay Snape had given them on why amphibians provided especially potent potion ingredients. There searches had turned up a book that screamed, one that could only be read upside down (for only then would the words appear), and one that oozed a sap-like substance along it's spine. But none of it had been useful. (Yugi had to have Hermione help him later to get the sticky stuff off his hands).  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione were making every effort to behave the same way around Yugi, Ryou, and Malik. Harry luckily had Quidditch practice after Quidditch practice to distract him. Even though Ryou was there for all of them, Harry was lost in his search for the Snitch. Hermione and Ron were often in the library with Yugi and Malik, who were both forced to abandon their search to work on homework on Saturday. Hermione and Ron kept nervously glancing at them, trying to see any change. There never was one.  
  
Sunday morning came around. Most of the castle was sleeping late. Yugi and Malik, however, were up bright and early, much to Malik's annoyance.  
  
"I don't see why Bakura doesn't have to be here," Malik said with a yawn. "They don't have practice this early."  
  
"He passed out in the middle of his Transfiguration essay last night," Yugi said, a sympathetic look on his face. "He was trying to catch up on all the homework he was behind on because of Quidditch, but he just couldn't stay awake. He was exhausted. I didn't have the heart to wake him up this early."  
  
"Yet you managed to wake me up," Malik muttered, rubbing his eyes. "If you ever ask the Bloody Baron to get me for you again, I swear I'll learn every curse in the damned book just to use on you. Do you have any idea what it's like to wake up with a bloody corpse hovering over you?"  
  
Yugi grinned. "I don't know why everyone's so scared of him. He's really nice if you're polite."  
  
"Yeah," Malik muttered sarcastically, "and the other Bakura's not self- centered and your other self isn't egotistical..."  
  
//If it weren't so early, I'd show him egotistical...\\ Yami muttered from his soul room. Yugi only giggled.  
  
They grabbed a quick breakfast first. They were among the few who were in the Great Hall at this hour (the only other people was a study group of Ravenclaw second year girls). Then they headed off to resume the search.  
  
The library was abandoned with the exception of the librarian, who gave them dirty looks every time they stepped into the restricted section even though she knew they had permission. Yugi and Malik continued their search, Malik looking high, and Yugi looking low. Curiosity was the only thing keeping Malik searching. He didn't really think they would find anything about the millennium items, but there were more than enough other interesting things to make up for it. Powerful spellbooks that Malik was thankfully too much of a novice for. Potion books with ingredients so rare that they would be almost impossible to make. Lists of exotic animals, where to find them, and how to crossbreed them. This was perhaps the only reading that Malik could get into.  
  
They had started just after daybreak. It was now nearly noon, and the library was starting to fill. Malik had almost fallen asleep twice and even Yugi was having difficulty staying awake. Yugi kept pushing forward, hoping that the next book would turn up something. That he would find a book that would tell him what he and Yami needed to do now that the three God cards and millennium items were all accounted for.  
  
Yugi's stomach growled so loudly, Malik could hear it from across the aisle. The blonde turned to him a hopeful look on his face. "Does that mean we can break for lunch now?"  
  
Yugi sighed, discouraged but not yet ready to give up. "In a few minutes, Malik," he said. "Let's just finish this aisle, then we'll go for lunch. We'll come back after."  
  
Malik shook his head. "Maybe you will, but this will be it for me today. I can't take all this searching. Besides, I still need to research magical plants native to bogs. Do you have any idea how many plants there are in bogs? That assignment will take hours! I don't know how Bakura will be able to catch up what with that sport of his."  
  
"What takes you hours might take him one and a half," Yugi said, not taking his eyes off the books. "I've seen you trying to work; you get distracted by everything. Bakura sits down and gets his stuff done, so it doesn't take him nearly as long. He does what he commits to." Yugi gave Malik a look that plainly said "unlike somebody else I know." Malik gave him his best innocent look in return.  
  
Yugi turned his attention from Malik back to the books. He was losing hope of finding anything. All the books appeared to be no more than spellbooks and such. Maybe Malik was right... Maybe they should give it up and go work on other things that were more important at the moment.  
  
He was about to turn away and call it quits when he saw it. The book was so dusty, it would have been easy to miss, but Yugi saw it...a small golden eye symbol on the spine of an obviously old book. "Malik...come see. I think...I think I may have found something."  
  
"What?" Malik said with an obvious lack of enthusiasm for he had long since lost interest.  
  
Yugi pulled the book out carefully. "This has the eye symbol on it. Like the one on all the items."  
  
"Yugi, that symbol is common. Almost everything Egyptian has that on it. Don't get your hopes up."  
  
"This book isn't written on paper..." Yugi said. "Not even parchment. I-I think it may be written on papyrus! And it's so big and heavy!"  
  
"Again, not that uncommon, Yugi," Malik sighed. "Look, this is the first book we've come across that even shows signs of Egyptian origin. What makes you think that this one book would have anything of use in it?"  
  
Yugi blew the dust off the cover of the book, revealing a solid gold surface underneath. Yugi grinned from ear to ear. "Maybe this is why." He turned the book around so Malik could see.  
  
Malik's jaw dropped. Etched into the surface of the book was a pair of cobras, elegantly painted and very lifelike. But it was not that which had Malik dumbstruck. The cobras were entwined and wrapped around what had a striking resemblance to his own millennium rod.  
  
"Okay...so you've convinced me," Malik said, more than a little awestruck. "This...this could really be it! I can't believe something like this would end up here..."  
  
Yugi gave a satisfied smile. "Dumbledore did say that this school had a really good library."  
  
.......................  
  
White Angel is back in school again. -_- I'll try to update as much as I can, but I can't promise once a week updates. Sorry! 


	33. The Book with Bite

School sucks. Just thought I'd make that point. Sorry that it's been so long, but...Med Science...bleh... And I've been busy every weekend. Hopefully I can get back into the habit of writing regularly.  
  
Zoo's starting a new fic contest! Check out the new rules at her contest website. The link appears in my bio.   
  
Thank you to all of you who kept reviewing despite my absence. Your patience is appreciated. I went over the reviews, but I may have missed some things, if you asked something I did not address, fell free to e-mail me.  
  
Shirubie, please e-mail me about your fanart! Address is in my bio. Pwease?  
  
And the dubs have done it again. Sneak preview for Americans (Canadians have seen this already) of Yami Malik's dub voice, curtesy of Duowolf.  
  
Chapter 33: The Book with Bite  
  
........................  
  
Yugi ran his hand over the golden cover of the great book, grinning broadly. They'd found something, they'd really found something. It was amazing. It was exhilarating! It was...abruptly taken from Yugi's hands.  
  
"Hey!" Yugi protested as Malik snatched the book away. The Egyptian ignored him as he stared at the book with disbelief.  
  
"This...I didn't think it existed. But it has to be it. I-I can't believe this would be HERE!" Malik stuttered excitedly. Yugi looked at him with curiosity.  
  
"You know what this is, Malik?" Yugi asked.  
  
"I have a guess," Malik answered. "There was a rumor many years ago that the priest who held the millennium rod kept his secrets in a book. It was supposed to be powerful spells and information regarding the items. But the book was said to be lost in time. I never believed that it was real, but this has got to be it! I don't know what else it could be. That's the only reason why this book would have only the millennium rod on it. It was a symbol of that priest."  
  
"And that's why Dumbledore wouldn't have found this," Yugi said with a nod. "He wouldn't have recognized the millennium rod." Then another thought came to his mind. "When you say that this book was probably written by the priest who once held the millennium rod, you don't mean...?"  
  
Malik nodded, getting what Yugi was hinting at loud and clear. "I do. It this is what I think it is, then this was written by Kaiba in his past existence. When he was the keeper of the millennium rod." Malik sounded bitter as he said this. He didn't like to think of Kaiba as the owner of his precious millennium item.  
  
"Well, let's read it!" Yugi said eagerly. "I've been waiting for this and so has Yami! Give it here." Yugi reached for the book, but Malik held it out of his reach. "Hey, give it back, Malik," Yugi pouted. "I really want to see it."  
  
"Patience, patience," Malik said, waving a finger in Yugi's direction. "You promised we'd go to lunch after we finished this aisle. And this aisle is done."  
  
"But we found the right book!" Yugi argued. "We just can't put it aside now! I know you want to read that as much as I do!"  
  
"Yes, I do want to read it," Malik agreed. "In fact, I'm probably the only one who CAN read it. Hieroglyphics and all. But, I have been searching through this damned library since sunrise, and I am hungry. This book has waited three thousand years. It can wait another thirty minutes for us to get some food."  
  
Yugi frowned. "But Malik..."  
  
"If you want me to read the book, I cannot do so on an empty stomach. I'll take a look at it after." Malik grinned, knowing Yugi had to agree. "Besides, we might see Bakura in the Great Hall if he takes a break for lunch. He should be in on this, too. It's only fair."  
  
Yugi sighed, beaten. "Oh, alright. We can eat first." Malik smiled triumphantly.  
  
//Don't worry about it, Yugi,\\ Yami assured. //Malik's right. It can wait if he insists on eating first. And we will most likely need him to read it.\\ Yugi frowned yet again, but nodded mentally.  
  
Knowing he'd won, Malik thrust the book back at Yugi. "Come on, let's go."  
  
They went to the librarian to check out the book. She wrote down their names and where the book was taken from. Then the parchment she was writing on disappeared, going to "the records."  
  
Malik stretched as soon as he left the library, cracking his back and neck. He was certainly glad to be out of there. He motioned for Yugi to follow him as he turned in the direction of the Great Hall and the smell of food. Yugi was moving rather slowly, probably do to the heavy book he had to carry. 'I should probably be the one carrying that book,' Malik thought. 'But so long as Yugi's not complaining...'  
  
Malik was suddenly brought out of his thoughts by the sound of a short yelp and the clatter of metal against stone behind him. He turned to see the book on the floor and Yugi standing over it, clutching his hand and looking dumbstruck.  
  
"What happened?" Malik asked, gazing first at Yugi, then at the book, and then back at Yugi. "Why'd you drop the book?"  
  
"It-it bit me!" Yugi stammered.  
  
"It what?" Malik asked flatly, not sure he had heard right.  
  
"It bit me!" Yugi repeated, pointing a shaking finger at the book on the floor.  
  
"The book bit you..." Malik asked, confused.  
  
"I-I just tried to open it and the snake on the cover came to l-life and bi- bit me," Yugi stuttered. Malik leaned in closer. Sure enough, there were two spots of blood on the fleshy part of Yugi's thumb.  
  
Malik stared at the 'bite.' Now that was strange... He then eyed the book on the floor. It looked unchanged. The snakes were engraved and painted on the book just as they were before, wrapped almost protectively around the millennium rod. So what happened to Yugi exactly? Something wasn't right here...  
  
Malik looked up and down the hall, making sure that no one was nearby. Then cautiously, he removed the millennium rod from his robes.  
  
"Wha...what are you doing, Malik?" Yugi asked, still gripping his hand.  
  
"I wanna see for myself," Malik answered simply as he circled the book on the floor. It looked so...well, not normal, but it didn't look alive, that was for sure.  
  
"M-Malik..." Yugi muttered.  
  
"Just a minute," Malik answered, putting a hand up to shush Yugi. Carefully, Malik stooped down, and reached out...with the rod, of course. He wasn't stupid enough to reach with his hand.  
  
He poked the book with the head of the millennium rod. Nothing. He tapped it. Nothing. He pushed it slightly. Still nothing. He was beginning to think that maybe there had been a bug in the pages that had bitten Yugi when he opened it. Must have been a big bug, though...  
  
No longer worried that much would happen, Malik caught the cover of the book with one of the blade-like extensions on the side of the rod and attempted to flip the cover open. Then he saw it...the danger of the book.  
  
One of the snakes on the cover did indeed come to life before him, hissing and making a quick snap at the rod. Malik could hear the scraping of its fangs against the gold. He fell backward in shock with a yelp, landing on his bottom. As soon as the rod was no longer raising the cover, the snake settled back down to its slumber, seemingly inanimate once more.  
  
"Wha...What the Hell was that for?!" Malik exclaimed angrily, taking personal offense to the attack. "Damn secretive priest..."  
  
"Malik...This really hurts," Yugi murmured, sounding as if he were trying to keep calm. Malik didn't seem to notice this. In fact, he didn't even seem to hear Yugi. He was too lost in his own thoughts.  
  
'Now, why the snakes,' Malik thought. 'What did he want to hide? If I couldn't even open it with the rod, then what can open it? Does it need magic? Millennium magic or this wizard magic? Or maybe there's a password... Well, there must certainly be something of interest in there if there was so much hassle first to find it, and now to open it...'  
  
"Malik," Yugi's voice was calmer now, but seemed to be lacking patience. It was deeper, too.  
  
"What is it?" the blonde asked, knowing he was addressing the pharaoh.  
  
"What kind of snakes are those on the cover?" Yami sounded as if he were trying to make a point.  
  
Malik glanced at the cover, taking the time to notice the species for the first time. "Egyptian cobras," Malik answered.  
  
"And would those be poisonous?" Malik suddenly understood what Yami was getting at and his eyes widened. Oh, he hadn't thought of that... Magical snakes on the cover that were poisonous as well? What did that priest want to hide?!  
  
Malik turned to see Yami, who was looking rather pale despite his forced calm expression. His hand was starting to swell. Yugi had been panicking, so he had taken over. Now he was looking at Malik as if the boy was completely dense. "Well? Hospital Wing?"  
  
Malik stood, looking rather cross with the Pharaoh's patronizing tone of voice. "You know, a simple 'help please,' would have worked faster than Twenty Questions." Malik eyed the book on the floor, and after some thought, picked it up. It seemed safe as long and nobody tried to open it.  
  
"If you didn't have such a one-track mind you would have noticed Yugi's distress," Yami answered with narrowed eyes. "I haven't the slightest clue how to get to the hospital wing from here. Now, would you-"  
  
Malik cut him off, grabbing him by the sleeve of his robes and tugging him along. "If you had ANY sense of direction, you could have just gone when you realized what was wrong," he muttered. "For someone so good at freakin' puzzles..."  
  
"Yugi's only been by there once!" Yami defended. "AND he wasn't paying that much attention to his surroundings!"  
  
"Big deal, I was only there once, and I had a concussion at the time," Malik argued back, a firm grip still on Yami's sleeve. "But it seemed like a good idea to make a mental note of where something as important as the Hospital Wing was." Truth was the Hospital Wing was on the way to Malik's Ancient Ruins class so he'd passed by in on many occasions, but Yami didn't need to know that.  
  
They bickered a majority of the way to Madame Pomfrey's, thus, they had no explanation for the bite prepared. If they blamed the book, it might be taken away. Luckily, Madame Pomfrey had a policy of treat now, ask questions never.  
  
Twenty minutes and a bottle of Warlock Wilton's All-Purpose Anti-Venom later, Yami relinquished control back to Yugi with one last dirty look at Malik as they left the Hospital Wing. Yugi was less resentful.  
  
"Thanks for the help," Yugi said. "Sorry about Yami. He's protective."  
  
"Uh, huh," Malik mumbled in agreement. "No big deal. I'm used to dealing with stubborn spirits. Speaking of which, I wonder if Bakura's back from practice."  
  
"If he is, he's probably getting lunch," Yugi replied with a shrug. "Since we can't exactly read that book now, I guess we might as well head to the Great Hall, too."  
  
"Sounds good to me," Malik said, a slight smile appearing on his face. He was starving.  
  
The Great Hall was bustling with activity. Almost every spot at the tables was filled. Yugi and Malik had a hard time finding place next to their friends. Hermione and Ron were there as well as the accident-prone Neville boy and Ron's little sister Ginny, but the Quidditch players were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"They haven't come in yet," Hermione answered the questioning look on their faces. "Fred and George were slacking off before, so now they're working overtime to make up for it before Saturday's game. The rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor is always heightened as game day nears."  
  
"Tell me about it," Malik muttered, noticing the especially dirty looks he was getting from the Slytherin table for sitting with the Gryffindors again. But he was well used to getting much nastier glares from much more intimidating people, so he simply shrugged it off.  
  
"What's that book?" Hermione asked, her eye catching the glittering gold cover before Malik could stash it under the table. Malik kept a straight face, as if it were nothing of interest. "Just some extra study for Ruins class," Malik said.  
  
"What's it called?" Hermione persisted. "Maybe I've read it."  
  
"Don't know what it's called," Malik answered nonchalantly, "I need to translate it."  
  
"Oh," Hermione muttered, looking disappointed. Ron just rolled his eye at her. Both of them had been watching the new students out of the corners of their eyes, looking for anything odd. Since they'd formed their hypothesis about them, they'd been uneasy. But the...normal way their comrades had been acting made it easy to forget from time to time.  
  
Ten minutes into their meal, the Quidditch players arrived. Harry, looking exhausted, plopped down between Ron and Ginny and rested his head on the table. Ginny cocked an eyebrow at him. "Rough practice?" she asked.  
  
"Yes," Harry muttered without lifting his head. "Who knew your brothers could be such slave-drivers?"  
  
"It's because it's Slytherin," Ron answered, not surprised. "If it were Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, they'd just assume Gryffindor was better. But they really don't want to lose to Slytherin." Harry sighed in response. True, he wanted to win the match, too, but he didn't want to die in the process. As if by cue, the twins sat across from their sibling and beside Yugi. The blue and green of their hair from their Color Bombs was quickly being replaced by their own red once more, but for now, it gave their hair the appearance of fire and they were quite proud of the effect. No doubt they would start pedaling their Color Bombs around the school soon, if they hadn't already.  
  
The Gryffindor team continued to file in, each looking dead-tired, save the Weasly twins, who masked their fatigue with confidence and a smug attitude. But someone was missing.  
  
"Where's Bakura?" Yugi asked, blinking in confusion. He should have been here, right?  
  
"Skipping lunch," Fred answered. "Wanted to work on that Exile of the Giants essay Binns gave him. No wonder he's so skinny. But really, the extra work you guys have to do to get credit for the other years is ridiculous. I don't see how you stand it."  
  
Malik's face fell. "I completely forgot about that essay. But I don't have History of Magic tomorrow, so I still have some time." Malik went back to his meal, but Yugi still had a concerned look on his face.  
  
"He really shouldn't be skipping meals," he said. "You guy's aren't going back out today, are you?"  
  
"Naw, the team's complaining about falling behind on homework too much," George answered. "Plus Slytherin has the field booked for this afternoon. We'd still be out there if Snape hadn't kicked us off. So the team has the afternoon off." Harry scoffed from his face-down position on the table.  
  
"Off? Essays, research... That's hardly off."  
  
"I haven't been practicing and I'm not done either," Ron muttered. "I still have ten inches of parchment to write on the Major Arcana for Divination."  
  
"Well, I'm done," Hermione piped up. "I can help you if you need it, Harry."  
  
"Thanks," Harry mumbled. "But I got it. Why don't you see if one of the others needs your help?" Hermione turned to Yugi and Malik expectantly.  
  
"I can handle it, thanks," Malik said taking a swig of pumpkin juice. "But I'm not going back to that library. Yugi had me in there all morning," he glared at Yugi as he said this. Yugi only shrugged innocently back at him. "I'll just go up to the observatory tower to study. It's quiet up there."  
  
"What about you, Yugi," Hermione offered. "Need help?"  
  
"I think you better offer it to Bakura first," Yugi answered. "I'm sure he's swamped. Speaking of which..." Yugi unfolded his napkin and began placing food in it: a couple fried chicken legs, a roll, and several carrot and celery sticks. "I think I'll take some food to him. He must be starving. We can take food up there, right?"  
  
"Technically, no, but Fred and George do all the time," Hermione said with a bit of a disapproving look. Fred and George beamed proudly as they always did when accused of such things.  
  
"Hey, the house elves don't complain," George said. Hermione only rolled her eyes. As a prefect she really shouldn't be allowing this, but what else was she going to do?  
  
Yugi stood, grabbing his books. Malik gave him a nod towards the table where the golden book was concealed to say that he would keep it. Why did Yugi have this sneaking suspicion that the book was going to end up in plain sight lying on Malik's bed or something? An open invitation to Malfoy? Well, it didn't take Malik long to find a way to cause trouble without the millennium rod. Yugi sighed inwardly and tried not to think about it. He folded the napkin of food and waved to the others as he headed off to Gryffindor tower.  
  
He gave his password to the Fat Lady and the portrait door opened into the Gryffindor common room. It was almost empty, most of the students being either at lunch or studying elsewhere. There were a couple first year girls off in one corner working on star charts, but other than that, there was no one, save Ryou.  
  
Ryou had positioned himself at a table by the fireplace where a flame was already going strong even though it was a rather warm October. He was face down, quill still gripped in his hand right where he had left off, mid- sentence. His hair was still windswept from him being on a broomstick all morning. He snored softly away.  
  
Yugi hesitated, debating whether or not he should wake him. Well, since Ryou obviously wasn't done with his work for the next day, it was probably best that he not sleep at the moment. Yugi gently shook Ryou's shoulder and the white-haired boy woke with a jolt. His eyes darted about, confused until they fell on Yugi. Realizing where he was, he shook his head to clear it of sleep, rubbing his eyes with a fist. "Thanks," he muttered to Yugi with a yawn. "I really don't have time for a nap. I don't even remember falling asleep..."  
  
Yugi had to suppress a laugh. Ryou had a clear imprint of a section of his essay on his cheek from lying on his parchment when the ink was apparently not quite dry. A short giggle escaped him as he pointed this out. Ryou blushed and wiped it away with his sleeve.  
  
"I snuck you some food from the Great Hall," Yugi said, setting the napkin on the table, carefully avoiding Ryou's work. "I figured you must be hungry."  
  
Ryou's stomach growled as if agreeing with Yugi. Ryou smiled sheepishly and thanked him.  
  
Yugi set up his own books at the table while Ryou ate and worked on his essay. He still had about five inches left to write on this essay. It wasn't until Yugi picked up his quill and noticed the now nearly invisible bite marks on his hand that he thought to tell Ryou what happened with the book. But Hermione popped in at that moment to offer her assistance. Ryou gratefully accepted it. Yugi would just have to tell him later.  
  
Benefiting from Hermione, Yugi was done with all his work by three that afternoon. He passed the time afterwards by showing his deck to the Weasly twins and giving them a more detailed rundown of the game of Duel Monsters. They were confused as all heck, but they still liked it. Especially Black Magician Girl. Ron and Harry wandered in as well and started a game of chess. Yami wanted to play, but Yugi told him to let Ron win a few against Harry first.  
  
By six, Ryou was able to throw down his quill, finally caught up. Hermione was amazed at the speed at which Ryou worked. He barely had to look anything up. It was like his brain was a sponge that absorbed everything said in class. Ryou didn't think it was a big deal. Just retained knowledge.  
  
He stretched, stiff from being in the same position for so long. "I'm going down to the Great Hall. Coming, Yugi?"  
  
"In a minute," Yugi answered. "I just have a few cards left. Go on ahead."  
  
Ryou looked around to see if anyone else was ready to go. Harry and Ron were still finishing a game and Hermione was watching them. Ryou shrugged and headed out the portrait hole alone.  
  
"You really should cut that hair," The Fat Lady said to him as he closed the door. "What is this school coming to with the ridiculous hair styles they're allowing nowadays?"  
  
"I like my hair," Ryou said with a frown. That lady was really rude for a picture. The Fat Lady merely turned her nose up at him. Ryou sighed and turned away.  
  
Halfway down the hall, he heard someone call to him. He looked over his shoulder to see Malik jogging to catch up to him with a book bag slung over his shoulder. Ryou waited for him.  
  
"So, you ARE alive," Malik said sarcastically. "I haven't seen you for a while, I though you might have crossed over."  
  
Ryou gave him a look. "It's not my fault. Practice and all that homework... But I should have enough done to get credit for First Year soon."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Malik said with a smirk. "I only have, oh, about five freakin' feet to write left."  
  
Ryou grinned. "That's your fault, slacker."  
  
"Ha, ha..." Malik laughed dryly. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you for a minute. The other you."  
  
Ryou narrowed his eyes. "I just finished my work and already you want me to turn the reigns over to him? He can hear what I hear, you know. You don't have to talk to him directly."  
  
"But I insist on talking to him directly," Malik said.  
  
Ryou didn't look at all pleased. "You're trying to start trouble again, aren't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be trying to go around me. Do you really have to involve him in all your little plots?"  
  
"Don't want him feeling left out," Malik replied. He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Oi! Quit hiding behind your sensible side and come on out!"  
  
Before Malik could react, Ryou's hand grabbed him by the front of the robes and pulled him dangerously close. "Would you quite making a scene?" Yami Bakura said dangerously, his nose and inch from Malik's. "This hall isn't empty, you know."  
  
Malik held his hands up in a gesture of peace. "Calm down. I just wanted to give you an opportunity that I knew you wouldn't want to miss. I didn't want Bakura blowing the whistle on it. You, um, are blocking him out, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes," Yami Bakura said with a heavy sigh. He released his grip on Malik's collar. "What is it this time?"  
  
"Well..." Malik began, a shifty look in his eye. "I thought you might want to get back at Malfoy and his gang for the girls' bathroom thing."  
  
"Yeah, and?" Yami Bakura said for that was obvious.  
  
"Halloween is this week, you know..."  
  
Yami Bakura nodded his head with a slight smirk. "I see. Want scary ole Bakura to work his magic for the occasion, right? I suppose that your coming to me with this has nothing to do with the fact that you got busted for the millennium rod by Dumbledore? Can't use that anymore, so you want me to do the dirty work for you."  
  
"I just wanted to give you the chance for revenge," Malik said in his best innocent voice. "I just KNEW you didn't want Malfoy to get away with everything."  
  
Yami Bakura grinned and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He well knew he was being led into this situation, but so what? "What did you have in mind?"  
  
"Like you said," Malik answered. "I want scary ole Bakura to work his magic..."  
  
Yami Bakura's grin widened. This was going to be fun...  
  
.............................  
  
R&R! I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner! 


	34. Halloween

Yeah, it's been forever and a day. I know. I thank all of you who have been patient and understanding. Threats and flames, of course, never work in getting me to update. Remember, I'm a goodie-two-shoes "A" student. School has to come first for me, and I'm having a rough semester. And I need those "A"s to keep from taking my finals. If you want to make sure I'm still alive, check my bio. I'll try to keep you informed there.  
  
Thanks to those who pointed out the fic that was so similar to mine. The authoress has taken notice of it and it will (and may already have been) changed. My eternal thanks to the loyal.  
  
Have not forgotten Malik's b-day. It's in December, not October. Seto's is in October.  
  
This chapter is dedicated to my adopted Yami, Neko-chan. For her birthday (though I'm late. *sighs*) and for all the Hell I'm putting her through with my requested fic. (*snickerfit* Luv ya, Neko-chan!) Be grateful to her. Were it not for her, this chapter would have taken even LONGER!  
  
Chapter 34: Halloween  
  
.................  
  
Darcy the Muggle Expert sat at his muggle desk in his muggle house in the middle of his muggle town. Except for the barn owl perched in the corner, this house didn't look out of the ordinary at all. Darcy had worked in the Department for Muggle Studies for over ten years, learning everything he could about them so as to better avoid wizard/muggle confrontation. The Death Eaters had him around to help cover up the mess they made whenever they became involved in muggle affairs. He wasn't sure which job he hated most. But no matter... soon he would be out of this place. The Dark Lord would realize his usefulness when this was all over.  
  
Scattered across his desk were enlarged images of the stone tablet, many of them with scribbled notes across them. He'd managed to translate a few words but not enough to get any clear ideas. But he was not one to do much research with books and such anyway. That's why he had a computer.  
  
He was probably the only wizard to own one. A state-of-the-art one at that. He was quite talented with it, having taken class after class in muggle technology. He'd been searching with the aide of the computer for days now with hardly a break for sleep. But nothing had turned up yet and he was growing frustrated. It wasn't supposed to be this hard.  
  
He cracked his knuckles and prepared a new tactic for searching. The words that he'd managed to translate were of no use on their own, but perhaps if he combined the searches something may turn up. He looked through his notes. "Pharaoh...Magic...Priest..." Darcy read through the deciphered words, looking for something that caught his eye. He stopped as he came across the work "Duel." He thought for a moment and then typed the word into his computer search engines. He scrolled down his list again. "Puzzle...Sorcerer...Monster?" He paused as he said this last one. Shrugging his shoulders, his typed it in as well and began his search. He seriously doubted anything would come of it. Needless to say, he was taken quite by surprise when his computer screen was flooded with information.  
  
He leaned closer to the screen, squinting his eyes at it as if he wasn't sure it was there. "A game?" he muttered as he read. There were hundreds of sites with rules, statistics, strategies, and whatever else you may want to know about this "Duel Monsters." Darcy frowned. Chances were he wouldn't find anything to do with the millennium items here. He was about to close the search when he came across a link marked "KaibaCorp Technology and Gaming." Wizard or not, Darcy was still a technology buff. His curiosity got the better of him and he clicked.  
  
The site opened to the Kaiba Corp. logo and a picture that looked oddly familiar to Darcy. It was a dragon... a white dragon. Now where...?  
  
Darcy's jaw dropped. He dove at the stack of papers on his desk, knocking many of them onto the floor in the process. He scrambled around until he found a picture of the table that had been cropped to focus on the area just about the picture of the priest. Darcy double-taked as he looked back and forth from the photo in his hand to the logo on the computer screen. It was undeniable...they were the same.  
  
'But...but what does that mean?!' Darcy thought. He was careful not to get his hopes up. It was probably nothing. A coincidence, that's all. But still...this was the most he had turned up so far. He needed to check out the rest of the information this site had to offer starting with its owner.  
  
The profile for someone by the name of Seto Kaiba came up. Darcy scanned over it reading parts of it aloud to himself.  
  
"CEO and chief inventor...Major stock holder...Avid gamer and champion...Only in high school, huh?" Darcy mumbled to himself as he continued to scroll down. Of course, there was nothing about the millennium items, which wasn't surprising.  
  
A picture of this Seto Kaiba character was loading at the bottom of the screen. Darcy watched with growing interest as the cold blue-eyed brunette appeared. Rubbing his chin in thought, Darcy glanced at the picture from the stone tablet. "Interesting resemblance..." he muttered, eyes wandering over the image of the priest, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "Very interesting... One does wonder how someone not even a man yet could be so successful. Perhaps...someone should meet this Seto Kaiba. No doubt there is plenty to discuss."  
  
Darcy's eyes brightened in anticipation. A short chuckle escaped him. He whistled once and the barn owl that had been quietly perched nearby fluttered over to him. Darcy pulled a roll of parchment from his desk drawer and began to furiously scribble upon it, checking something on the computer screen from time to time. Then, tying to note to the owl's leg, he opened a window, allowing the bird to take its leave. There was little worry of the bird being intercepted. After all, this was a muggle neighborhood.  
  
.............  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was never quiet and uneventful by any means, but everyone seemed to notice an increase in anticipation. Halloween was close at hand, and that was always interesting. The piles of pumpkin guts outside the greenhouses told the students that Professor Sprout was already hard at work on the decorations. But even bigger than Halloween was the upcoming Quidditch match: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. With the exception of the Slytherins themselves, everyone wanted to see Gryffindor win. This was not helping to lessen the stress of Gryffindor's newest players.  
  
No sooner had Ryou caught up with his work than more was poured on. Practices were getting, if anything, more intense. Ryou really wished that his first match wouldn't be the biggest one. If he screwed up, he would let down three quarters of the school.  
  
Also on his mind was the mystery of what Malik had discussed with Yami Bakura. Ryou didn't like it. Not one bit. The fact that neither told him what was going on told Ryou one thing for sure: he would not approve. He vaguely wondered if he should tell Yugi to keep a lookout for trouble, but he knew he would never get the chance. He'd barely seen Yugi since they'd worked on their homework together two days before and it was already the night of the thirtieth. And even if he had, there was no way his other half was going to let him spoil the "fun." Ryou would just have to hope that everything would go all right.  
  
Ryou yawned as he walked the corridor on his way to the Gryffindor common room after several hours of studying in the library. He was looking forward to a good night's sleep. But it seemed rare these days that Ryou got what he wanted.  
  
"Bakura!"  
  
Malik came jogging around a corner after apparently coming a long way, for he was out of breath. Giving himself a brief moment to regain himself, he spoke. "Bakura, I'm glad I caught you before you got away."  
  
"Lucky me," Ryou mumbled sarcastically.  
  
"I need to talk to you," Malik said.  
  
"The other me?" Ryou said, crossing his arms and attempting (failing) to staring Malik down. "Look. I'm really tired, and whatever you've got planned will just have to-"  
  
"No, I've got to talk to both of you," Malik interrupted. "And Yugi."  
  
Ryou's expression became that of confusion. "What for?"  
  
"I'll explain in a little while," Malik said. "Just go get Yugi. Wake him up if you have to. Then meet me up on the abandoned section of the astronomy tower. The other you knows where it is. And make sure you're not followed."  
  
"Followed? Wha?" But Malik had already taken off, leaving one very confused Ryou in his wake. There had been something in Malik's voice that Ryou couldn't place. Anger? Worry? Wait, Malik didn't worry...did he? Whatever it was, Ryou felt sure it was no joke. He quickly made his way to the dorm to get Yugi, once again ignoring the Fat Lady's suggestion to get a haircut.  
  
............  
  
"What's this about Ma-Malik..." Yugi mumbled, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He did not appreciate being hauled out of bed and dragged off to the roof. Yami wasn't quite awake yet either. If he had been, he wouldn't have been nearly as polite as Yugi was about the inconvenience.  
  
Malik shifted uneasily, glancing over his shoulder towards the door where they had all come through.  
  
"Just who do you think would be following?" Ryou asked, for although he was sure the Egyptian had reasons, right now it just seemed ridiculous.  
  
"I don't trust the people at this school as of late," Malik answered, still looking at the door.  
  
"Not more Malfoy business, I hope," said Ryou, crossing his arms.  
  
"This goes way beyond Malfoy," Malik said, finally turning from the door to face his comrades. "I got a reply from Isis this morning. About the robbery."  
  
"And?" Ryou said, tapping his foot.  
  
"See for yourself." Malik thrust the paper into Ryou's hands. Ryou blinked, unsure, before looking down at the letter.  
  
"I...can't read it in this light."  
  
Malik sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hold on..." He pulled his wand out from his pocket and tried to light it. Unfortunately, he forgot the words.  
  
"Lumnice? Uh...Luminis? Luminous?"  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud..." Yugi mumbled, running his hand down his face in an exasperated way. "It's Lumos! Lumos! You've been here two months, you should at least know that!"  
  
"Give me a break! This is the first school I've been to! I'm still getting used to it," Malik defended.  
  
"Well, do the spell already!"  
  
"Why don't you do it if you're so smart?"  
  
"I don't have my wand with me."  
  
"So use mine!"  
  
"It's not supposed to work that way!"  
  
"Would you just-"  
  
Yugi and Malik's argument became pointless, however, as a light appeared to their side. Not by wand, but by Bakura's glowing millennium ring. His superior expression was clear in its light. Yugi and Malik blinked repeatedly, both wondering why they hadn't thought of that.  
  
"The word 'Duh' comes to mind," Yami Bakura said.  
  
"... Shut up," Malik said. "Just read the letter."  
  
Yami Bakura's eyes skimmed over the letter, looking for what Malik was talking about. As he read, the bemused look on his face disappeared, replaced by narrowed eyes and pursed lips. Without saying a word, he thrust the letter at Yugi.  
  
"What is it?" Yugi asked, taking Yami Bakura's silence as a bad sign. He eyed the letter himself and saw what they were to be concerned about.  
  
"They took the Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh?" Yugi said. "But...But why? Why would the Death Eaters want that?"  
  
"Can you think of no reason?" Malik said. "I find it to be very strange, myself. All three of us are asked to come to this school. My sister's museum is attacked. Dumbledore seems awfully curious about millennium items. They did not ask us here just for an education it seems. Someone wants what we have..."  
  
"But why take the tablet?" Yugi asked, more than a little confused.  
  
//To make a connection,\\ Yami said. //Someone must know of the millennium items, but not much about them. They're searching for clues, just as we were not all that long ago.\\  
  
//What can they get from the tablet? I mean, all we learned from it was that you were a pharaoh. And a bit about Duel Monsters and the God Cards.\\  
  
//I don't know. But I don't like it. And what I don't like even more is that this was kept secret from us...\\  
  
//What do you mean?\\ Yugi asked.  
  
//Like Malik said, Dumbledore was awfully curious.\\  
  
//You don't think he-\\  
  
//No,\\ Yami interrupted. //But I think he knew someone was looking for them. He told us when we first met that dark wizards were gaining power. These are the people he fights against. So naturally, he would want to keep what they want, namely the millennium items, out of their reach. He knew there were powerful forces out for us. He knew there was danger. And he said nothing. We're being used as pawns here...\\ Yami let it hang there.  
  
Yugi swallowed hard. Were they really being kept in the dark on purpose? Why?  
  
"I hate when people keep secrets from me," Malik muttered, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "I hate being misled."  
  
"Misled?" Yugi said, turning his attention away from Yami.  
  
"Dumbledore. All the teachers. Everybody. Acting like they were out for our best interests." Malik didn't make eye contact as he spoke and it made Yugi nervous. "They brought us here for they're own reasons."  
  
"Yami thinks that, too," Yugi said, frowning. "But...I hate to think that was all. I mean, they must have had some reason to not tell us some things. Dumbledore doesn't strike me as the kind of person to keep secrets unless he thought it was for the best... Right?"  
  
"Rationalize all you want, Yugi," Malik said. "Be naïve if you want to. But I think I'll be more careful about who I trust around here. And I suggest you do the same. We have new enemies now."  
  
"But..." Yugi didn't know what to add. Wizards stealing clues about the millennium items. Why would wizards want them anyway? Didn't they have more than enough power already? Why?  
  
Yugi couldn't help but notice that somebody was being awfully quiet. He turned his attention to Bakura. "What's your take on this?" Yugi had been expecting to see Yami Bakura, but it was Ryou standing beside him instead. He blinked in slight confusion. "He retreated already?" Yugi asked before he could catch himself.  
  
Rather than look offended, Ryou looked about nervously. "I think he's mad...He's quiet. That usually means he's mad."  
  
"Well, we know what his opinion is," Malik said, letting his hands fall at his side.  
  
"What about you, Bakura?" Yugi asked. "What do you think?"  
  
Ryou hesitated as if contemplating what he was going to say. "I really don't want to think that I came halfway around the globe just to be sucked into more millennium item nonsense," he said finally. "There is obviously somebody in the wizarding world who has taken an interest in them..." He paused again, biting his lip before continuing. "But I think I still trust Dumbledore and his decisions. If he kept secrets from us, I'm sure it's because he thought it was best. He does know more about the wizarding world than we do. I trust his judgment." Ryou sighed. "And the other me must think I'm being an idiot, because he just cut me off completely."  
  
"It's not stupid to want to trust," Yugi said. He was glad Ryou felt the same way he did. Malik seemed to think differently.  
  
"Please do not tell me I'm the only one who sees the danger in this!" he exclaimed. "Or maybe it's just because they already found my home. How long before they connect the millennium items to my sister and me? How long before they attack again? With Isis and Rishid defenseless? And try not to forget, Yugi... Your face is carved into that stone."  
  
Yugi inhaled deeply and let it out in one long, drawn out breath. "I know," he said. "I'm not saying we should do nothing. I'm just saying that we shouldn't confuse our enemies with those who may very well be our allies."  
  
"And vise versa..." Malik muttered. Yugi decided to let that go.  
  
"Send a letter to Isis and advise her and Rishid to get out of Egypt, if you're worried." Yugi said, trying to be helpful. "I'll write Grampa in the morning."  
  
"I'm one step ahead of you," Malik answered. "I wrote to her as soon as I read this letter. I told her now would be a good time to schedule that exhibition to the States."  
  
"Is there any mention of the ring in that tablet?" Ryou asked. Malik and Yugi both looked at him like he should know. Ryou blushed under the attention. "I meant to see it but the exhibit left Japan before I ever got the chance. I didn't have much in the way of spare time during the whole Battle City thing."  
  
Yugi and Malik both looked away so as not to show any pity. Ryou had been either possessed or unconscious during the whole event. Malik also knew that Yami Bakura had seen the tablet (and had scared the life out of Isis as well), but he chose not to comment on this. "Well?" Ryou asked after the other two had been silent for an uncomfortably long time.  
  
"No," Malik answered finally. "There isn't much information on the ring anywhere. That's why we don't...that's why we don't know much about your other half."  
  
"Oh..." Ryou said, lowering his gaze. "I guess it would be against the Egyptian belief to immortalize someone like him by writing about him..."  
  
There was an awkward silence when neither Yugi nor Malik knew what to say. Ryou sighed and spoke to end it. "So what now?"  
  
"I don't think there's any immediate danger here for us," Yugi said. "Yami agrees. We're fine for now. We can plan a next step when we find out more."  
  
"And who would we find out more from?" Malik said. "Dumbledore? Even if he does prove to be one our side, he won't be useful. What's he going to tell us to do? Learn some spell?"  
  
"Well, what can be done short of disposing of every single Death Eater?" Ryou said. "And we can't hide from them forever, either. What do we do?"  
  
"Do we wait for them to make the first move?" Malik asked. "We don't know what they're capable of, and they probably don't know what we're capable of. There's a lot of guessing there. I don't like it one bit."  
  
"Do you expect us to launch an attack or something?" Yugi said. "We don't even know where they are. I think the best thing we can do is wait. Be prepared...but wait."  
  
"I can live with that," Ryou agreed. "Malik?"  
  
Malik huffed a bit but nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah. We'll just keep an eye out for the time being. I don't know what else we could do."  
  
"Fine. Then it's agreed," Yugi said. "Now, can we all go back to bed? It's cold out here and you guys have me out in my pajamas."  
  
"Call it revenge for you using the Bloody Baron as my alarm clock," Malik said in an all too serious tone that could only mean he was joking. Yugi smiled.  
  
"We'll just wait and see," he said as they all started walking back inside. "Who knows? There may be something in that book we found that we can use."  
  
Ryou stopped short. "Book?" he asked, utterly confused. Malik and Yugi rolled their eyes in unison. Ryou was falling behind on current events.  
  
After explaining how they found the book to the baffled Ryou, they all headed inside and towards their dorm rooms. At the portrait hole of the Fat Lady, Yugi entered first, yawning and scratching the back of his head sleepily. Ryou and Malik nodded their goodnights, but as Malik was walking away, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him backwards, speaking softly in his ear. He recognized the hand as Ryou's. And the voice as Yami Bakura's.  
  
"These resent events change nothing of our plans," Yami Bakura whispered. "Halloween will go as we said. I need to blow off some steam against these wizards, now, and I can't think of a better way..."  
  
Malik nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face. No better way indeed...  
  
...............................  
  
The morning of October the thirty-first was uncharacteristically bright and sunny with a cool wind blowing in from the west. Students pilled into the Great Hall one after another for their morning meal. Already, the ceiling was decorated with floating jack-o-lanterns, black and orange streamers, and a colony of live bats, the latter of which was making the less accustomed students hunch protectively over their plates to guard their food from anything that might fall.  
  
The usual gang of Gryffindors (plus one Slytherin) was gathered at their table. Ryou seemed unusually quiet and reserved, as if deep in concentration. Yugi was concentrating, too. But his attention was focused solely on the letter he was writing to his Grandfather (Ryou would translate for him later). Every once in a while, a spoonful of cereal found its way to his mouth or he would add to the conversation, but his eyes never wavered from his parchment.  
  
Malik was sitting beside Ryou and would occasionally whisper to him. Ryou replied with a shake or nod of his head, but said nothing.  
  
"So what's the deal with Halloween, here?" Yugi asked as his hand sped across his letter.  
  
Ron shrugged. "We're wizards and witches, so naturally Halloween has some significance. But really, it's mostly just the feast. We don't even get out of classes early."  
  
Hermione looked disapprovingly at Ron. "Really, one would thing you would have more respect for Halloween than that," she scolded.  
  
Ron shrugged again. "So long as I eat, I'm happy." Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
Even if some of the students didn't hold Halloween higher than any other holiday, the teachers showed some recognition of the day. In Transfiguration, the more advanced students practiced turning spider webs into handkerchiefs (with Ron feeling slightly uncomfortable). Yugi and Ryou were working on turning apples into pumpkins, with extra points it the pumpkins were carved. When Ryou didn't complain once about the pointlessness of the spell (as he had for every other Transfiguration class as soon as McGonagall was out of range), Yugi knew something was up.  
  
"Why have you been so quiet today," he asked quietly.  
  
Ryou shook his head slightly as if taken off guard by the question. "Thinking is all," he answered.  
  
"About the game this weekend?"  
  
Ryou hesitated. "Yeah..." he muttered. "That's right."  
  
"You shouldn't worry about it," Yugi advised. "You don't want to psyche yourself out."  
  
Ryou smiled warmly down at Yugi. "I'm not worried. Just have a lot to think about."  
  
They went back to their work, but Yugi couldn't help but think there was something a bit...off. Something not quite right.  
  
Charms class quickly took Yugi's mind off of Ryou. Rather than keeping them in the classroom, Professor Flitwick brought them to the Great Hall to help him finish decorating for the feast. The class spent the better part of an hour charming various signs of the day to hover about the ceiling.  
  
Classes broke for lunch and then it was outside for Care of Magical Creatures. By now, the Irish Pygmies were entering adolescence, which was making them especially temperamental.  
  
"Now, be sure to keep yer patience with 'em," Hagrid instructed. "You've got to be gentle, but firm."  
  
Malfoy's dragon still had a healthy dislike for him and it wasn't making things easy. If anything, the Pygmy had gotten faster and stronger. Malfoy, never being one to knowingly put himself in danger, allowed his goons to do the dirty work while he merely looked around. He caught Ryou staring strangely at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned and gave him a dirty look. Ryou didn't flinch. It was unsettling. His unblinking expression seemed to stare through Malfoy rather than at him. Unable to take it any longer, Malfoy glared. "What are you looking at?" he muttered.  
  
Ryou blinked like he was only just noticing that Malfoy was there. "They hover about you," he said.  
  
"Who?" Malfoy asked as if he didn't care to know.  
  
"The dead," Ryou answered simply.  
  
Malfoy scoffed. "Please. You'll have to do better than that if your trying to get to me. With all the ghosts floating around this school, I hardly find them frightening."  
  
Ryou slowly shook his head. "They're not the same."  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy asked, a look of superiority planted on his face. "I don't see anything. And I don't believe you do, either."  
  
"You'll know before the night is over."  
  
"Is that a threat?" Malfoy accused.  
  
A smile spread slowly across Ryou's face. "Perhaps..." he said. Malik grinned as he watched them out of the corner of his gaze.  
  
Malfoy shook his head. "I'm not afraid of scary stories. You'll have to come up with another one if you want to get to me."  
  
"Who's telling stories?" Ryou asked. "Vengeful spirits have been following you. And today they are strong. Who am I to say why they are so angry?"  
  
Malfoy showed signs of nervousness for a brief moment before masking it again. "Are you expecting me to believe that you can all of a sudden see this?"  
  
"I've seen them before," Ryou said. "But they've never been this well defined. The day gives them strength. A wandering restless spirit is never more powerful than Halloween, when the barrier of life and death is at its thinnest. If I were you, I'd be careful. They may be looking for company."  
  
Malfoy scoffed again, appearing to dismiss the whole idea. He was, however, visibly more on edge through the rest of Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
Meanwhile, Yugi was far too busy chasing his Irish Pygmy around the grounds to notice the conversation between Ryou and Malfoy. Or the satisfied look on Malik's face.  
  
The wind picked up as the day grew darker and Halloween night approached. Students began filing in the Great Hall for the feast, Yugi being among the first. Though practically every meal was a feast at Hogwarts to him, he was looking forward to seeing what made this one special.  
  
In the lower levels of the dungeons, Malfoy and his goons were taking their merry old time getting up to the celebrations. Malfoy didn't really want to go at all. For some reason, he wasn't in the mood to celebrate Halloween. He knew Bakura would try something at the feast. He just knew it. He wasn't going to walk right into a trap. But Crabbe and Goyle were highly fond of the feast, and they weren't happy with Malfoy's hesitance.  
  
"If we don't hurry, the feast will start without us," Goyle whined. Crabbe nodded his agreement.  
  
"Only you would complain about that," Malfoy scolded. "All you two think about is food. It's a feast, for crying out loud! They'll be plenty for you whether you're on time or not."  
  
"They'll take away house points if we're late," Crabbe piped in.  
  
"Like that matters?" Malfoy shot back. "After we slaughter Gryffindor in this weekend's match we'll have more than enough house points to make up for it. Or don't you have confidence in your team's abilities?"  
  
Crabbe in Goyle blinked in response. Either because they didn't know how to answer, or Malfoy had used too many big words and lost them somewhere. Malfoy clenched his teeth and raised his hands as if he were going to hit his associates. "Fine! Hurry off to the feast! You two couldn't possibly stand to miss a meal, after all!" Crabbe and Goyle didn't stick around to defend themselves. Given permission to leave, they took advantage of it and were out of sight in moments.  
  
Malfoy sighed as he found himself alone. Or so he thought. Turning, he headed back towards the dorm. If Snape asked anything of his absence from the feast, he would tell him he was sick. Snape wouldn't question him.  
  
He turned down a hallway that seemed... different somehow. He thought for a moment he had gone the wrong way, but no. What was it about this hall? It was...darker. Yeah, that was it. 'One of the torches must be out,' Malfoy told himself. 'I'm being paranoid. I can't let that white-haired freak get to me.' But...it was colder, too... even for a dungeon.  
  
Malfoy came to a spot where the difference was more tangible. There was a new portrait of a wealthy-looking gentleman on his left. On his right was a new suit of armor. This was not so odd. Things had a habit of moving around in Hogwarts, doors, staircases, rooms... paintings and armor was no exception. But again, there was something different. The painting was amazingly still for a Hogwarts portrait. And the suit of armor had no helmet. It was unsettling.  
  
'I'm being stupid,' Malfoy mentally told himself. 'They're just harmless decorations. Nothing weird about them.' He chuckled out loud at himself. He knocked on the frame of the painting as if to say "Ha, ha, you don't scare me." He half expected the inhabitant to scold him for. He did not, however, expect it to fall.  
  
He jumped backwards to avoid it, letting a short yelp escape him. The portrait hit the floor face-down, a cloud of dust issuing forth from it. Malfoy was breathing heavily from the shock. He placed a hand on his chest, willing his heart to stop beating so fast. He mentally scolded himself for being so scared. It was only a painting.  
  
It seemed to be getting darker. Malfoy didn't like it one bit. It was best to go. But he soon found himself unable. His robes were caught on something. Malfoy looked to find that he was held firmly in place by the grip the suit of armor had on his robes. It was no accident or coincidence. The fingers of the armor were tightly clenched around the cloth.  
  
Malfoy began to panic. He tugged the robes in an attempt to free himself, finally tearing loose. Fragments of black cloth still hung from the armor's fingers. The suits of armor at Hogwarts have been known to change their position when no one was looking, but he'd never seen one do this. His expression was a mixture of horror and resentment as he eyed the armor. He backed up until his back was pressed against the wall and as he did, he realized something else was wrong. What happened to the painting that had been on the floor? Malfoy looked up and saw that it was back on the wall where it had been originally. As he stared, he saw the first signs of movement from it. He screamed.  
  
A horrible creature appeared to pop out of the picture. Jagged teeth, clawed hands, and a ghostly howl that chilled Malfoy's bones. The monster made a grab for Malfoy and the jumped back and kept moving, eager to put distance between himself and the haunted portrait. He backed right into the suit of armor and panic gripped him again. He saw a sword being held by the headless suit of armor. A sword that was being held at ready just above Malfoy's head. The boy threw himself to the floor in an attempt to dodge just as the sword came down, cracking the stone floor where Malfoy had just been seconds before. Malfoy scooted away, desperate to get away from the possessed décor.  
  
The suit of armor did not stop. It turned towards Malfoy and took a slow step forward. The haunted painting levitated off the wall and faced him as well, the monster snarling as it moved closer. Malfoy whimpered in terror, fighting to make his body stop shaking long enough for him to stand. He finally got to his feet and started running towards the safety of the Great Hall.  
  
All was dark before him, but he took no notice this time. His eyes were shut tight. He didn't want to see any more. He had to get away from those monsters. Had to tell everyone about them so that they could do something about it. This school wasn't supposed to be haunted by uncontrolled ghosts.  
  
Malfoy opened his eyes to see how far he had gone and regretted it the moment his did. The darkness before him was complete. Not a speck of light shown. And then he heard a terrifying shriek from within and horrible, twisted, ghostly white apparitions came forth at him. He screamed and did an immediate about-face, running back in the direction of the dorm rooms. The headless armor and the possessed portrait were ahead of him, but he shut his eyes and ran between them. He heard the monster of the painting howl at him and he felt the wind as the sword of the suit of armor just missed him but he kept running and did not stop until his was safe in his dorm with the covers wrapped around him, shivering and whimpering.  
  
Back in the hallway, the darkness cleared. The portrait, the armor, and the apparitions disappeared with it. And standing there where the darkness had once been were two laughing teenage boys, one with white hair, one with blonde.  
  
"I did warn him," Yami Bakura said as he slipped a hand of cards back into his deck. "I told him to watch out for vengeful spirits. I just didn't tell him it was me."  
  
"That was great," Malik said as soon as he caught his breath and wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. "I can't think of anyone more deserving of terror inspired by your deck, Bakura."  
  
"Indeed," Yami Bakura said with a nod. "That was well worth all the scolding I will get from Ryou and the Pharaoh later. Once they figure it out, that is. It shouldn't take Ryou long seeing as he's completely missed Halloween. But that was quite satisfying."  
  
"Your deck is the best when it comes to freaking somebody out," Malik commented as they turned toward the Great Hall.  
  
"What are you talking about? My deck is the best when it comes to anything," Yami Bakura replied.  
  
"I'd have to argue and say that I've had better decks," Malik said with a smirk.  
  
"Yeah, when you had Ra, maybe. And even then, you had more luck than skill."  
  
"You wish!" Malik shot back.  
  
They argued all the way to the Great Hall where their tardiness was noticed, but not dwelled upon. In the Slytherin dorm, Malfoy continued to shake and shiver.  
  
................................  
  
There you go! You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find the time to work on this and even now, I should really be working on my cosplay stuff instead. If anyone's going to Numa rei no con in New Orleans next weekend, look me up! I'll be the dork in the Bakura costume hanging around with another dork in a Malik costume who will be making constant Rod jokes. Til next time! (and no, I don't know when that will be, but I'll try to not take as long. Keyword: Try.) 


	35. Death Eaters in Domino

Uh...yeah, updating. See? I didn't forget. Still working on it. Homework, scholarships, job applications, you know what it's like. So I can only beg your understanding.

There's a new YGO fanfiction site, the Millennium Library, and they're looking for good authors, so if interested, check it out at www.sennen-ring.net. And I now HATE fanfiction.net because it no longer wants to let me do my slashes and little star thingies. So there is a good chance that I will soon be switching my stories AND updates to Millennium Library and Kokoro no Naka as soon as both are caught up.

For this chapter Yami Hikari conversations will be represented by (( )) because it won't let me use slashes.

Final note: White Angel is going to A-Kon in Dallas this June! And she's looking for roommates to help with the cost of the hotel room. Girls preferred, but that's not set in stone. It'd be nice if you also plan on cosplaying YGO, as she's looking for a group for that, too. (she's Yami Bakura, Duelist Kingdom, Battle City, and Trenchcoat! varieties) I'm looking for four people, which would bring the cost of the room down to $25 a night (although any number of people would be great). E-mail if interested or for more info: whitetenshichanhotmail.com

Chapter 35: Death Eaters in Domino

……………………………………………………………

It was at least an hour before the sun would be rising over Domino City. Most of the inhabitants were still very much asleep. However, there is no rest for the wealthy...or those who must deal with them.

Mokuba Kaiba yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he wearily watched his brother prepare for a meeting with foreign investors from his seat on the end of his brother's bed. The young vice president was still visibly tired, but big brother Seto didn't seem to know the meaning of the word "sleep." There was far too much work to be done to mess with such a trivial thing.

Seto Kaiba was ruffling through his papers, making sure he had all the information he needed when there was a knock at his door. "Enter," he said without looking up. The door opened.

"Mr. Seto," came the voice of one of his employees. "The motion detectors have picked up some movement on the south end of the property. Security can't seem to find anything on the cameras, however."

"You bother me for this?" Seto replied, finally raising his gaze. "It's probably nothing more than an animal. Some loose dog."

"It would have to be a pack of them, sir. All the sensors in that area are responding. Should I dispatch the Security team?"

"Humph," Seto murmured. "Do what you feel is necessary. That's what I pay you for." The employee nodded, bowed, and exited the way he came in.

After one last look-through, Seto closed his briefcase confidently. Today would surely prove to be quite profitable. "Let's go, Mokuba," he said. The younger Kaiba paused mid-stretch and hopped off the bed, quick to his brother's side.

"Should I call for the car to be brought around?" Mokuba asked helpfully.

"No need," Seto replied. "It should be there alrea-" Seto was cut off by a sudden boom from the lower floor that reverberated through the entire house. He blinked in surprise and then narrowed his cold blue eyes. He pressed the communicator button on his coat. "What the hell is going on down there?" Only static responded. Seto tried again. "Report!" he ordered. Nothing.

The floor rocked with another boom. The brothers caught faint whiffs of smoke on the air. "Big Brother, what's happening?!" Mokuba asked, trying not to reveal that he was scared.

Seto sneered. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Come with me, Mokuba."

The elder Kaiba led the way down the hall to a seemingly bare wall. Seto pressed a panel to the lower right and the wall opened up to reveal an elevator. The brothers entered, the door sealing shut behind them. Seto pushed a button marked "B2" and the elevator began lowering them down to the basement floors.

"What's going on?" Mokuba asked nervously. "Are we being robbed?"

"They would have to be very stupid thieves," Seto muttered.

Another explosion rocked the elevator. The lights flickered and went out; the elevator came to a halt. Mokuba tightened his gripe on his brother's coat but Seto only scoffed. Without the need of light, he reached forward until his hand came in contact with a keypad. He punched in a code and the lights returned. Back-up generators. The elevator hummed back to life and they were able to continue their decent.

Only the emergency lights were on in basement 2. This was Seto's observatory floor, containing controls for all the mansion's systems. None of the employees even had access.

Seto took a seat at the main computer. Mokuba sat at the secondary controls and they simultaneously inserted their keys to boot up the computer. The back-up generators kicked on and the screen flashed. Seto placed a headset on and attempted once again to communicate with his underlings. Again there was no reply.

"Did they all just suddenly disappear?" Seto mumbled aloud. Mokuba looked at him. If Seto was confused, then this wasn't a good situation at all. From his station, the young boy began bringing up the emergency powered surveillance cameras one by one, looking for something that would tell them what was going on.

"Nothing showing on camera 1. 2... 3... 4...oh!" Mokuba covered his mouth in shock.

"What is it?" Seto asked. He leaned over to look at Mokuba's screen. The CEO's eyes widened. There apparently was a huge smoking gap in the wall of his house. Sparks flew from it where electrical wires were severed. A small fire burned nearby.

"Move over, Mokuba," Seto ordered. Mokuba did as he was told and let his brother take the seat. Seto flipped through the camera views personally. Some showed nothing. Some show scenes of absolute destruction. Every once in a while he would see one of he guards lying motionless on the floor, knocked out or worse, there was no telling.

Suddenly the communicator crackled and a voice was heard.

"Mr. Seto! Mr. Seto!"

"I'm here," Seto replied through the headset. "What's happening?"

"They're here! East wing! First floor! They have...s-some weapon. I-I think they killed Tanaka!" the terrified employee spoke in a frantic whisper. Seto realized that the man was taking a risk just talking to him. The intruders had to be close.

"Don't speak again. Do not let them find you. If you're hiding from them, then stay where you are. Don't risk running if you can help it. Authorities should already be notified. I'm switching to visual."

Seto's fingers flew across the keyboard as he brought up the cameras on the East Wing. Sure enough, there they were, at least half dozen of them. He could just barely make them out in the light from the fires in they set in his hallway. Seto was more confused than ever, but his expression remained stern.

These intruders were clothed entirely in black. Robes by the look of it. Seto's first thought was that the Ghouls were back. But no, that couldn't be. And even if it were, then why? He didn't have the God cards and surely even his rarest cards were not worth this. Well, maybe his Blue Eyes...

The intruders seemed to be at a halt. Arguing among themselves it seemed. Seto narrowed his eyes and switched on the two-way intercom system for that hallway. It was time to see what was going on.

"-if you would have just listened to me!" the intercom picked up. "We don't even know if he's in the building!"

'English?' Seto thought. He knew English pretty well because of his frequent dealings with Americans. But then were these goons from Industrial Illusions? But Pegasus was dead...

"Hush up!" came another voice. "We do not have time for muggle means. I am not going to tell the Dark Lord that we wasted time trying to work around simple muggle security."

"Would you rather tell him that you let the target escape?!" shouted the first voice. "This house is protected by the best in security. If he is here, then he knows we are. And the muggle authorities will be here any minute! We do not need this kind of attention! We're supposed to make this look like an assassination or terrorism or some other muggle attack!"

"We are not leaving without finding him," the other insisted. "Once we have the item, we can curse him all we desire. And I would enjoy cursing him a lot after all this trouble."

Even though his English skills did not permit him to understand everything being said (what the heck was a "muggle?"), he did understand a threat when he heard one. So...these goons wanted him, right? Well, he would just have to-

Seto was cut off mid-thought when the intercom picked up another voice.

"We found someone."

"Is it the target?"

Seto stared at the screen. They'd found the employee he'd spoken with seconds before hiding under the debris of the all but destroyed hallway.

"Not the target. Too old."

"Then kill him."

The eyes of both Kaiba brothers widened as they waited for gunshots, a knife, laser, whatever. But then...

"Stop! We can use him! Don't kill him yet!"

"What is it now?" This voice was beginning to sound impatient.

"This muggle may be able to tell us where the target is."

"You are not wasting any of our Veritaserum on one of the underlings," the second voice replied in a manner that seemed almost bored. "We don't know how much we'll need to break the target's will and find out what we need. That object of his may increase his resistance."

'What is it they think I have?' Seto thought. 'Are they after the company?'

"We'll never find the target if we don't find out where he's hiding!" the intercom crackled. "It won't take much to find out a few facts from this man. We'll still have plenty left."

"Oh, very well."

Seto and Mokuba watched as the last cloaked figure who spoke pulled something from his robes. Several other figures held the shaking and shivering heap that was their employee, and then, as if nothing were wrong, the employee slumped down, now appearing to be quite calm.

"Take us to where your boss is hiding," came the cold voice over the intercom.

"I can't," crackled the all too steady voice of the employee. "I don't have access."

"But you know where he is, don't you?"

The employee nodded. "He should be downstairs..." he muttered in monotone. "Basement two."

"That traitorous little-!" Seto let several swears leave his mouth.

"I think they brainwashed him or something, Big Brother," Mokuba spoke up nervously. "He risked himself to inform us earlier...I don't think he would reveal us so easily. They must have done something to him..."

"It doesn't matter, Mokuba," Seto said, clenching his fists. He was now faced with a decision. He could take Mokuba and get out of there (not run away, mind you, just leave) or he could go and show those strangers what it means to challenge Seto Kaiba. The latter appealed to him most. But that nagging practical side of his brain kept telling him that these intruders may not be impressed with his dueling abilities and no matter how skilled at judo he was, he couldn't take on that many men, especially when he wasn't sure what sort of weapons they had. He was doubtful that even guns would be of much use. And Mokuba...he couldn't risk Mokuba getting hurt.

What came over the intercom next helped him make up his mind.

"If he can't even take us to the target, then we have no need of him. The Dark Lord said to leave no witnesses."

"Fine then."

There were more nonsense words, a flash of green light, and the employee fell to the ground. Mokuba gasped and Seto's eyes showed his disbelief. They didn't need to check to make sure. Somehow, they both knew the man was dead.

"Mokuba, go ready the jet," Seto said in a voice that seemed too calm for the situation.

"Y-yeah," Mokuba mumbled in response. The boy's mouth was suddenly very dry. He grabbed his brother's briefcase and took off as fast as he could under the load to the underground launch pad.

Seto glared at the screen. There was so much he wanted to do but couldn't. With power out in much of the house, he couldn't operate the defense systems. He couldn't seal off the exits and he couldn't fire the weapons. He could, however, activate the explosives positioned within the house and take the whole place down along with the strangers. It was tempting, and it wasn't like he couldn't afford the losses. But a nagging voice told him that some of his employees might still be alive in there. As useless as they sometimes were, he could not simply incinerate them with his enemies.

Frustrated, he made his way to a large safe on the other side of the room. There, he inserted his key (the one disguised as a picture of Mokuba) and opened the door. Inside was another briefcase, this one containing his cards.

He headed back to the control panel. His long, slender fingers typed with impressive speed. He was sending a message to the authorities, telling them the location of the intruders, that they were armed and dangerous, and that he and Mokuba were making their escape. They responded that they were less than five miles away.

"Big Brother, everything's ready," Mokuba said, stepping into the room again. He had grown concerned with the time he brother was taking.

"I'm coming Mokuba. Wait for me in the jet." Mokuba gave a worried look, but did as he was told. Seto glared at the visual from the camera. He couldn't leave without doing something, even if it was just blowing off hot air. He brought up the intercom.

"Attention, intruders!" he announced in his accented English.

"What the hell was that?" came the voice of one of the robed figures.

"It's the target! He shouldn't know this spell! Darcy, you said he wasn't a wizard!"

"He's not! I told you, it's muggle technology!"

Seto was growing tired of listening to them argue about things he didn't understand. "I don't know what you want and I don't care. Whatever it is, I'm going to make sure you don't get it. No one challenges me in my own home. You will not get the chance to do this again." He flipped a switch. The generator powered up the red emergency lights throughout the house and an alarm sounded. They didn't really mean anything, but they made for an impressive effect.

The cloaked figures seemed baffled by the happenings. Seto smiled a self-satisfied grin. "You have ninety seconds to live before this building explodes. Have a good trip to Hell." He was bluffing, of course. But the intruders didn't know that, did they? Seto turned away and left to join Mokuba.

"What did he do?!" crackled the intercom.

"It's nothing! He can't do anything!"

"Is this the power of that item?!"

"You idiots! We have to get out of here!"

"Are you mad?! We can't abandon the mission! The Dark Lord will have our necks!"

"It's an emergency system! The house is going to self destruct! We have to leave!"

"M-maybe we should listen to him?"

More was said, but Seto and Mokuba heard none of it. The BEWD jet was ready for take off and they didn't have much time. Seto took the pilot's position and Mokuba took the co-pilot's. A concealed hatch opened above them into the backyard of the Kaiba estate, giving them an escape route. A computer generated voice counted down.

"3...2...1..." And they were off. The ground rumbled as the jet took off. They shot into the sky, out of reach of their pursuers. From their vantage point, they could see the police cars pulling into the driveway of the Kaiba estate. The way Seto had it figured, the intruders would flee the building right into the waiting police forces. Then they would be for the officers to deal with.

Seto glanced at his watch and scoffed. He was going to be late for his meeting.

…………………………………………………………………..

Ryou wondered into the Great Hall in an unusually good mood. He had no practices scheduled, there was no Divination or Potions class today, and all his homework for that day's lessons was completed in full. It was shaping up to be the first stress-free day he'd had in weeks. And why not? It was a holiday, right? And his favorite, at that.

At least as far as he knew...

Yugi greeted Ryou with a wave at the breakfast table. Everyone else was already there. Malik didn't say a thing, which Ryou felt was unusual in itself, but he was confused by the way Malik kept expectantly eyeing him. It made him think Malik had something up his sleeve, but he tried to ignore it. He proceeded to help himself to fried eggs and sausage.

"I've still got another two or three inches to write," Ron said. Ryou seemed to have walked into the middle of a conversation. "I'll just do it at lunch. Eat really fast so I can get to it, you know?"

"I'm done, but it's really bad," Harry replied. "I think I made up the last half of it." Hermione eyed him disapprovingly.

"You know, it's not really THAT hard to write ten inches on bog sprites. I could have written that much just comparing them to wood and river sprites. But Professor, er, White, said I need to work on being more concise. I had to struggle to get it down. After fifteen inches, I just couldn't cut anymore out."

"Well, don't we all wish we had your problem, Hermione," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"The Defense Against the Dark Arts Essay?" Ryou questioned, trying to get into the conversation. "Heh, at least you all are ahead of me. I haven't looked at the thing yet."

Hermione blinked at him. "What, do you mean you haven't started yet?"

Ryou didn't know why this was so odd. "I'll just do it this afternoon. I don't have practice, so I'll just do it before the feast."

"Feast?" Ron said. "We having another feast? Why didn't I hear about it?"

"But you guys said the school always has a feast..." Ryou said, confused.

"Uh, I better start heading out to the Greenhouse," Malik said, trying to gather his things as quickly as possible. But he wasn't fast enough.

"Yeah, we have a feast on Halloween," Harry said. "But we've never had one on November FIRST to my knowledge. And we DO have Quidditch practice today. At four. Did you forget?" Ryou was still lost at "November first". Then it dawned on him.

"Malik..." Ryou said in a voice that was eerily calm. "May I have a word?"

"Uh..." Malik didn't have a chance to answer. Ryou was dragging him across the Great Hall by his robes, a look of anger on his face that matched his Yami's. The Gryffindor table stared after them.

"What was that about?" Harry asked.

"Does Bakura have memory problems?" Hermione asked.

"I think it was the half a turkey he ate yesterday," Ron commented wisely. "It must have put him in a coma that fried his brain or something. The guy needs to change his eating habits." Hermione sighed and shook her head at him.

"I better go see what the problem is," Yugi said, sliding out of his chair, half concerned and half curious. As he walked away, Harry, Hermione, and Ron exchanged silent looks before nervously returning to their breakfast.

Ryou had dragged Malik off to a hallway adjacent to the Great Hall where they could talk without being heard. The fire in Ryou's eye's made Malik think it might not be such a good idea to struggle. When they were out of earshot of the other students, Ryou released Malik and turned to face him.

"What's going on?!" Ryou demanded in a forceful whisper. "Why were they looking at me like I'm crazy? And why are they saying it's November first when it's Halloween? Is this some sort of joke that everyone is in on but me? Huh?! Ha, ha, lets all laugh at Bakura, is that it?!" Malik hesitated. "Well?!"

"Uh...no," Malik answered finally. This seemed to be the wrong answer.

"Then what...is going on?" Ryou said, losing his patience for the first time that Malik had ever seen. He decided he'd rather deal with Yami Bakura than an angry Ryou any day. Angry Ryou was scary.

Yugi jogged up to them, having caught up. Malik wasn't sure if it was a good thing that he was there or not...another person to yell at him, but someone who'll stop this unpredictable Bakura from harming him. "What's wrong?" Yugi asked, blinking at the pair of them.

"Yugi, what is today?" Ryou asked, his tone of voice making it clear that he was in no mood for jokes. Yugi was a bit taken aback.

"Thursday?" He replied, unsure of what was expected of him. "November first?"

Ryou shut his eyes, clenched his fists, and shook his head. "I missed Halloween... I'm in my first year at a witchcraft school...and I missed Halloween. I'd been waiting for weeks to see what that day was like here."

"What do you mean you missed..." Then it suddenly dawned on Yugi. "Oh..."

"And it was my day off! I'd planned so that I wouldn't have to rush through any work that day! I was supposed to have a break!" Ryou suddenly grabbed Malik's collar again and eyed him angrily. "Damnit, Malik! Couldn't you and the other me have scheduled whatever trouble you were up to on another day?! Did it HAVE to be Halloween?"

"Well, that was part of the plan," Malik replied honestly, putting his hands up in defensive position. He was completely taken by surprise. He had not expected Ryou to be this angry, and it was frightening. Ryou was actually cursing at him!

Ryou tightened his grip on Malik's clothes for a minute before finally throwing his hands in the air, completely lost in his anger and frustration. "Do you two EVER think about anyone but yourselves and your own selfish games?! What the Hell was so important that you cut me out of a whole day?! Without even a heads up?!"

Malik knew already that Ryou wasn't going to like the answer. He wished the white-haired boy would switch his attention to the other culprit so that he could slink away. "I was going to call it off, but HE insisted," Malik said, pointing to the ring under Ryou's robes, attempting to get the attention off of him. It didn't work.

"Insisted on WHAT?!"

"Well...we wanted to get Malfoy back for locking you guys in the girls' bathroom. So we spent the day scaring him."

Yugi stared back and forth at the two of them, not sure what side he should take. Ryou was perfectly right to be angry, but Malik seemed to be in the most trouble. He wisely decided to just kinda hang back a minute.

Ryou gawked at Malik, shaking his head. "I should have known. Well, fine. That's just great. So long as you guys got what you wanted. Now, if you excuse me, it seems I have an essay to work on." He roughly released Malik and stalked off in the direction of the library without looking back.

Malik stared after him in shock, absentmindedly straightening out his ruffled collar. "Geez," he muttered. "I didn't think he would take it this hard..."

"Well, what did you think?" Yugi said, finally daring to speak up now that Ryou wasn't around. "I don't blame him for being angry. Just think how you would feel."

"Yeah, I knew he wouldn't be happy, but I didn't even know he was capable of being this angry."

"There's your other problem," Yugi said. "You guys just expected Bakura to accept you taking advantage of him. You didn't even take into consideration how he would feel about it, did you? And you couldn't have picked a worse time to do it."

"Yeah, he is a real Halloween buff, isn't he?" said Malik.

Yugi shook his head. "I'm sure it's not so much that it was Halloween. Bakura has been under a lot of stress. Homework, and the Quidditch game this weekend...it's all kinda piling up on him. That, and...and I think he was just getting to be in comfortable coexistence with his other self. They were at an understanding and they were getting along. And now the ring spirit has really taxed Bakura's trust with this stunt."

"You know him well, don't you?" Malik asked, somewhat impressed with Yugi's take on things.

"I just know how I would feel," Yugi answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Malik sighed. He knew he needed to apologize to Ryou. He considered waiting until Ryou calmed down a bit, but no. The longer he waited, the worse it would be. That and...he felt strangely guilty. Ryou had always been so nice and quiet and reserved. Malik didn't like having a hand in finally making Ryou lose it. He took a deep breath and headed down the hall after his companion.

Malik found Ryou sitting at a table in the library with his back to him, already writing furiously on a piece of parchment. The rest of the library was empty, save for the librarian who was busy in the back. Malik approached hesitantly, not wanting to set Ryou off again. Ryou already knew he was there. Malik swallowed his pride and began to speak.

"Bakura, look, I'm-"

"I'm sorry," Ryou said, cutting him off. The motion of his quill stopped, but he didn't turn around. "I really shouldn't have acted like that. It's just a silly holiday. I can do without..."

Malik stared at Ryou's back. "No, no. Don't apologize. I'm the one who's supposed to be sorry. Me and, well...him."

Ryou sighed. "It's not really you I'm mad at, either of you."

"You certainly had me fooled," Malik said, taking a seat next to Ryou. The white haired boy smiled a little.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "I know it's no excuse. It's just I needed that day off for myself. I've just been so stressed out and...nervous. It's strange. I guess I'm just not used to having this much attention on me."

"What do you mean?" Malik asked.

Ryou sighed. "Back in Domino, I did a good job of blending into the crowd. Nothing was really expected of me. And now...now everything's...different."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I'm just afraid of disappointing everyone," Ryou answered.

"Look, Bakura," Malik said, "Don't worry about impressing anybody. And don't be sorry for standing up for yourself. You're allowed to get mad, you know. No one is going to hold it against you. I'll be the first to admit it, I deserved to be yelled at. I really am sorry. I got carried away with the revenge thing and it wasn't my place. I wasn't thinking. So feel free to yell at me, ignore me, smack me around, whatever it is that will make you feel better. Then we can all go back to being friends, right?"

Ryou smiled that little smile again. "Tell you what Malik. If you do your best to stop the other me next time he plans to do something you know I won't approve of, we'll call it even."

Malik grinned. "It's a deal." He stood, pushing his chair back in. "I'd offer help with the report, but you know I'm no good for it."

"That's okay," Ryou said. "Hermione was right. It's not that hard, really."

Malik scratched his head. "If you say so. I guess I'll see you later." He waved and was off.

Ryou looked back down at his essay and busied himself with it. About five minutes passed. And then...

((I'm...uh...sorry, er, whatever, too... I probably should have worked something out with you.))

Ryou sighed again. The same deal applies to you, too, you know. Promise to stop Malik next time he has a stupid plan, and I'll forgive you. There was silence for a moment.

((I can live with that.))

Ryou grinned.

((Just don't ever tell anyone that I apologized.))

…………………………………………………………………………………..

More action next chapter! Which shouldn't take as long as this one did. School duties are almost over. Don't forget to e-mail me if you're interested in rooming for A-kon!


	36. Let the Games Begin

Still hate ff.net. But for the time being, I shall continue to update here as well. That is, until they tick me off again. But don't worry. If and when I decide to move my updates, I will let you know where to look for them.  
  
Okay, it was a while between last update and the one before it. If you e- mailed me asking me to advertise your contest or site, please e-mail me again or review about it. I'm sorry, but I just could not keep track of all that over those months. Fanworks (fanfiction, fanart, doujinshi) sites related to Yu-gi-oh only. Then your site can be pimped, too! Like Sam's!  
  
Sam the Sailor Comet's fic archive, ygowordplays.com. Go. Post in the message board. Check out the fics (especially hers -- she's talented) Marvel at Sam's artistic skillz and deranged sense of humor!  
  
Thanks to all the wonderful people from my LiveJournal who helped me beta this chapter so that it could come out as soon as possible. You'd have been waiting at least another day otherwise, and I probably wouldn't have caught as many errors. Yay for them, for they rock!!  
  
Chapter 36: Let the Games Begin  
  
............................................................  
  
The dark lord was not one to take failure well, and the report of the disaster in Domino City was no exception. Darcy knew this well and when he was summoned, he felt sure death was upon him. He considered running away and hiding, but a worse fate would await him if he did. Yes, worse than death.  
  
He was white as a sheet when he was ordered to enter his master's chamber. The room was dark save the light of a single torch. Darcy could see the huge stone tablet in the center of the room. A shadow loomed across it.  
  
"Would you care to inform me," the shadow said slowly, "as to why so many of my best Death Eaters were outwitted by muggle means?" He spat the last words out like they left a bad taste in his mouth. "If he had used the magic of the item, I might have more understanding. But the way I am hearing it, he outsmarted all of you without a single spell. Why is that, Darcy?"  
  
The muggle expert was afraid to speak, but terrified of what might happen if he left the question unanswered, so he spoke. "They, that is, my associates...underestimated the target. They were...impatient. I tried to inform them, but they would not listen-"  
  
"So you are telling me that your failure was due to the incompetence of your fellows?" the Dark Lord asked, turning to face his frightened underling, his features still hidden in shadow.  
  
"Sir, they were ig-ignorant of how to deal with muggles, and es-especially their technology," Darcy stammered, hoping that the worse he made the others sound, the better off he would be. "If we had not apparated, the muggle authorities would have found us. Some of them may even have been seen-"  
  
Lord Voldemort put his hand up for silence. "Darcy. I would like nothing more than to dispose of you at this very moment..." Darcy shrank back at this. "However...you are the only one who has brought me any information thus far regarding the secrets of the Tablet. And because of that, I am inclined to spare you on the off chance that you prove useful once more." Darcy relaxed a bit, but he still would have rather been anywhere else but in that room.  
  
"You are the only one with expertise in the field of muggle studies," the Dark Lord continued. "And it appears that our targets may very well be living among muggles. This, and this alone, saves you for the time being. Now, you are absolutely sure that this fellow from Japan is the same as the priest on the tablet?"  
  
"Y-yes sir," Darcy mumbled. "Reincarnated. If the prophecy has come true, he should have that item. The Millennium rod and the power of mind control. Even if he doesn't posses the item, he should lead us to it and the rest of them. He's fated to come in contact with the Pharaoh and other reincarnated priests."  
  
Voldemort nodded. "I will give you one more chance Darcy. Choose your assistants. You are in charge of the next mission. Find the target that escaped. Bring him to me alive. Kill whoever else you have to, but do not get caught. Fail, and I shall feed you piece by agonizing piece to Nagini. It has been so long since she had a good meal." Upon hearing her name, the huge snake lifted her head from her resting spot in the corner and hissed menacingly.  
  
Darcy shut his eyes tight against the thought of being snake food. "Y-yes, sir."  
  
"Go," the Dark Lord ordered. Darcy did not have to be told twice.  
  
................................................................................  
  
The Great Hall was a sea of red, gold, green, and silver on Saturday morning as the students supported their team of choice for the day's big Quidditch match: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. There was a bustle of excitement as there always was before the much-anticipated game. The Slytherin team sat at the end of their table, not to be disturbed as they prepared. Malfoy had recovered from his scare and showed little effects of it. He was now convinced that there was foreign magic at work, and he knew just who to blame. It had to be Bakura. Why else would he have made a point to try to unnerve him all during Halloween? And the Slytherin Quidditch captain was not about to let such a humiliating trick go unpunished.  
  
Malik was taking particular risk by sitting with the Gryffindors this morning. He was getting constant glares from his table, but he didn't seem to care. He was not sporting Gryffindor colors, but he was also not wearing his uniform Slytherin colors, preferring to go with his plain black robes and no tie. He eyed the figure next to him. Then he nudged him. "Eat, Bakura."  
  
Ryou's hands were placed firmly on his knees and his lips were tightened to a thin line. He was shaking like a leaf, not so much as looking at the food before him. He either didn't register Malik's suggestion, or was choosing to ignore it.  
  
"Come on, Bakura," Yugi urged. He'd never seen Ryou so nervous in all the time he'd known him. "You won't be able to play your best on an empty stomach."  
  
"If I eat..."Ryou finally muttered, "I'll throw up."  
  
The Weasly twins rolled their eyes in unison. The effect of the Color Bombs had finally worn off, and their hair was back to its fiery red, making them appear even more in sync. "Look, Whitey. First game jitters. That's okay," George said. "It's alright to be nervous. But it's not that bad. You just go out there and do your best."  
  
"I'm going to make a fool of myself," Ryou said. He felt like his insides were tied in a knot and he had a really bad feeling about the upcoming game. He wasn't sure he could even move, let alone play. Yami Bakura was in a bad mood as well. The spirit didn't voice his problem, but Ryou had a feeling that his other half still didn't approve of him playing and the fact that Ryou was going against his wishes was only just dawning on Yami Bakura.  
  
"There's no reason to be so negative," Fred said, shaking his head. "We all survived our first games and many since with no problems." Harry wasn't quite sure about the "no problems" part, but he knew saying this would only increase Ryou's apprehension. So he said nothing.  
  
"Look," George said. "you need to relax some. Dean's not nervous."  
  
"Are we talking about that Dean?" Ron said, pointing just down the table with his fork to where Dean was visible. The new Keeper seemed to be focused only on his bowl of oatmeal and he jumped nearly a foot every time someone spoke to him.  
  
The twins gave Ron a "you're not helping" look. "At least he's eating," George said as he stood to go check on Dean and offer some support.  
  
Ryou was not comforted in the least. It didn't help that the Slytherins had been humming the Death March every time Ryou passed by them for the last couple days. He had a feeling he was going to be paying for his yami's fun.  
  
Harry sighed. "Okay, so there's little to be done to make you feel better at the moment. All I can say is maybe you won't be so nervous when you're up in the air. But eat something, at least. Dry toast and orange juice. That should settle your stomach. Take it from me. We don't know how long the game's going to last and you don't want to have eaten nothing."  
  
Ryou gnawed on his bottom lip, supposing Harry was right. He gave in and poured himself a glass of juice. But he still couldn't shake that feeling...  
  
He really hoped Harry would be quick to catch the snitch.  
  
...........................................................  
  
The day was overcast, cold, and windy, the autumn weather finally settling in. The sky was gray and white with the thick clouds of a passing storm. Thunder rumbled in the distance every once in a while, but rain was not expected for the game. The ground had been covered with a layer of frost earlier that morning, but it had since then melted and was doing a good job of soaking the shoes of the students as they headed off to the Quidditch field, wrapping their robes and scarves tightly around them.  
  
Malik was second-guessing whether he should have left his scarf in the dorm because it bore the Slytherin colors. He was not used to such cold and he really missed that added clothing. Halfway to the field, he gave up and turned back to get it. Yugi frowned at him as he left. The stands were already almost filled. They were never going to get good seats.  
  
Ron, and Hermione were also running late. Snape seemed to have just realized that he had been almost ignoring them for the majority of the school year thus far and, in a stroke of sudden meanness, ordered them to return the banner they'd made to support Gryffindor to their dorm because it would "obstruct the view of the other spectators". The Slytherin supporting sign seemed to have escaped his gaze. By the time Ron and Hermione had gone the Gryffindor common room and back, the game was about to start and only the seats closest to the ground (and thus, the worst) were available. They weren't alone, though. Malik and Yugi were stuck right next to them. But they were all determined to make the best of the situation and would be cheering their hearts out anyway.  
  
In the Gryffindor locker room, Ryou had finally managed (after the third attempt) to get his robes on correctly. His hands were shaking so badly that he could barely work the buttons and laces. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. He clutched his Solar Flare, tightened his brilliant scarlet robes around him, and sat on the bench beside Harry to wait for instructions. He anxiously fingered the millennium ring under his robes without realizing it. Harry gave Ryou what he hoped was a comforting smile. Ryou returned it, but Harry could tell it was forced. For all the secrets and mysteries surrounding the white-haired boy, Harry really didn't like seeing him so disturbed. He felt that he could relate to him. Harry recalled his first Quidditch game and how he acted almost the same way Ryou was acting now. He understood fully what the new Chaser was going through.  
  
This being their first game as captains, the twins were as tad stressed as well, but they hid it to the best of their ability. It would do the team no good to see them anything but pumped.  
  
"Alright, guys," Fred spoke up, clapping his hands once to gain the attention of his teammates. A confident smile was plastered to his face with an identical one on George's. "Wood was always the one for cheesy speeches and we know you expect no such cheesiness from us." The team members who weren't choked with nerves laughed. "But you all know this is an important match which we can't afford to lose. So everyone...do your best, have fun, and if you take a few Slytherins out in the process, we won't hold it against you!"  
  
The team stood and cheered. Ryou did his best to be happy with the rest of the team. He pushed his fears and worries to the back of his mind and tried to feed off the excitement of the other players. He swallowed hard and followed them out into the field where the whole stadium erupted in yells and cheers.  
  
((What's your problem?)) Yami Bakura asked, finally acknowledging the goings on as Ryou joined his teammates in the center of the field. ((This is what you wanted, isn't it?))  
  
((Yeah...)) Ryou muttered mentally. ((I guess it is.))  
  
The spirit of the millennium ring paced back and forth in his soul room, shaking his head at his host. 'The boy never knows what he wants,' he thought silently. 'I have a feeling this isn't going to end well.'  
  
When Ryou glanced up at his opponents, it seems as if they were all glaring threateningly at him. Then it was gone and he was left to question whether he'd actually seen it or not. He rationalized, saying his eyes were just playing tricks on his brain. But that other team was led by Malfoy, and Ryou knew well that Malfoy was going to be out for him. He only hoped the Weasly twins were as good at being beaters as they said they were. He felt he would need all the help he could get.  
  
Madam Hooch walked briskly out onto the field and stood between the two teams. She eyed each of the new players, as if sizing them up. Then she nodded, almost approvingly. "I want a good, clean game!" She shouted, addressing everyone. "Mount your brooms!"  
  
Ryou's sweaty palms griped his Solar Flare as he slid one leg over it. His heart climbed up to his throat with apprehension, waiting for the signal for the start of the game. This was it...this was what they'd practiced for.  
  
"It'll be alright," Harry whispered in some last words of encouragement as he stood next to Ryou, straddling his Firebolt. "This'll be fun." Ryou nodded.  
  
Madame Hooch put her silver whistle to her lips and the shrill cry echoed over the stadium. The Quaffle flew high into the air and every broom lifted off the ground and shot towards the rider's position.  
  
"And veteran Chaser Angelina takes the Quaffle first," announced Lee Jordan, friend of the Weasly twins and commentator for the Quidditch games. "She's off to a great start! The Bludgers are nowhere near her! Slytherin Chasers Johanson and Quigley are right on her tail, but I don't think they'll catch her! She's looking good!"  
  
Yugi, Malik, Ron, and Hermione cheered from the stands at the tops of their lungs. This was Yugi and Malik's first time seeing a real game and they were every bit as excited as the other Gryffindors had been to see the duel disks in action. Things moved so fast. Yami marveled at it from his soul room, and, for a fleeting moment, which he would never admit to, he envied Ryou for being able to play.  
  
Ryou hovered above the scene, waiting to see if he was needed. Angelina seemed to have things under control. She had a clear path to the goal. He seemed to be in a good position as well. Malfoy was with Harry high overhead, scanning the field for the snitch. Ryou thought hopefully that he wouldn't have to worry about him after all. He flew lower, offering Angelina backup.  
  
Out of nowhere, a Bludger came streaming towards them. It missed Angelina by a good three feet, but Ryou had to roll to avoid it. His gaze darted about, looking to see where it had come from. He'd thought the Slytherin beaters were still far behind them, but no.  
  
"Oh! Slytherin Beater Anders sneaks in low and sends one flying!" Jordan announced. "Misses Angelina by a mile but nearly nails new Gryffindor Chaser Bakura! But he hasn't got the Quaffle, Slytherin! Need to work on that aim!"  
  
Having to dodge had slowed Ryou down and he was in no position to help his fellow Chaser, but she didn't need his aid. She managed to fake out Slytherin's Keeper and score the first goal of the game, making it 10-0 Gryffindor.  
  
A roar erupted as Gryffindor supporters cheered. Ryou tried to slow the furious beating of his heart. Not five minutes into the game and already he'd had a close call. And he hadn't even been the target. Right?  
  
The Quaffle was in play again and was in Slytherin's possession. The opposing chasers were juggling the Quaffle just out of reach of the Gryffindor chasers and were quickly nearing the goals. Ryou dove in to help. Another Bludger came flying his way, but he saw it coming this time, was able to dodge with relative ease and didn't linger on it. His teammates were moving so fast; Ryou was having trouble following. He was grateful for Lee's commentary.  
  
"The Slytherins near the goal. This could even the score! Johanson fakes left! Shoots for the center goal! Oh! Intercepted by Angelina! She's really on her game today!"  
  
Ryou and the other new Chaser, Josie, moved in on each side of Angelina as they made their way to their goals. They'd practiced this formation over and over. Angelina rose and dropped the Quaffle into Josie's hands. The twins kept the Slytherin Beaters at bay. Josie pulled ahead, Ryou and Angelina just behind her. A Slytherin Chaser managed to get in front and block her path, but she readily passed to Ryou, who managed to catch and hold on to the ball. He dove under the obstacle, looking desperately for someone to pass to. The longer he held the ball, the greater his chances of screwing up.  
  
Josie was still blocked and Angelina was too far away. Ryou had to get in closer. He leaned forward, pushing his broom for more speed. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, something flew at him. A second Slytherin Chaser (who's broom was much faster than Ryou's) had maneuvered around the field and come right at him. Ryou yelped in surprise, pulling his broom upward. The Slytherin shot beneath him.  
  
Ryou fumbled with the Quaffle in his hands, almost losing his grip on it. The same Slytherin circled around and came at him again. Ryou tried to veer to left, but his adversary made a sharp turn at the last second that Ryou couldn't dodge completely. The opposing Chaser grazed Ryou's side causing him to drop the Quaffle...right into the first Slytherin Chaser's hands.  
  
Ryou cursed mentally and doubled back. But his broom was made for maneuvering, not speed. He couldn't catch up and the other Slytherins held his fellow Gryffindor Chasers back. The score was tied, 10-10.  
  
The game continued in favor of the Slytherins. With their inexperienced Chasers and Keeper, Gryffindor was soon losing, 70-10. Slytherin was extremely aggressive and the newer players were taken off guard by their underhanded tactics. Ryou had narrowly missed several collisions and Bludgers. He was starting to get the feeling that they were gunning for him, but he dismissed it as paranoia.  
  
High above the field, Harry's well-trained eyes scanned the game for that familiar glint of gold. He knew from Lee's commentary that the match was not going well for his team, and the sooner he caught the Snitch, the better. At the rate they were going, however, it wouldn't matter who got the Snitch and the points that came with it, Gryffindor would lose anyway. Ryou felt he was to blame. He'd messed up more than once. But the heated competition of the game the jeers of the Slytherins made him determined to prove he could do this.  
  
Slytherin was in possession again. Angelina signaled to Ryou. He nodded and urged his broom forward. Dean was looking panicky as the Slytherins moved in.  
  
"Slytherin looking to score again!" Lee announced. "Quigley closes in! He makes for the goal! Oh! Angelina comes through and snatches it away, passing immediately to Bakura. Slytherin's Beaters send a Bludger right at him, but it shoots past! Gryffindor's looking good! Oh! Another Bludger at Bakura but he dodges with ease. Love that Solar Flare series! Slytherin trying to hold him off, but Gryffindor Beater George sends the Bludger back and throws them off course. Or was that Fred? Ah, who knows? Bakura passes to Josie! It's looking good! Oh! Ten points Gryfindor! Hey! Another Bludger sent Bakura's way! Slytherin must not have liked that last score! But you'll have to step it up to outmaneuver the Solar Flare!"  
  
Ryou was out of breath. Something was flying at him every minute, whether he had the Quaffle or not. If he dropped his guard for even a moment, it could mean the end of the game for him. Well, if he was going to be targeted (as he was sure was Malfoy's plan) he might as well give them a reason for it.  
  
The game heated up. Angelina would get the Quaffle, Josie would shoot, and Ryou accepted the task of getting it safely across the playing field. This simple strategy worked amazingly well against Slytherin, for no matter how many times they hit the Bludgers at him, Ryou was able to sense it and dodge. The Weasly twins, however, were getting annoyed with Slytherin's dominance of the Bludgers and the first chance he got, Fred (or George) sent one back and gave a Slytherin Beater a bloody nose. There was a slight pause while Madame Pomfrey fixed him up. During that time, Malfoy flew in to speak with his other Beater. Looking rather angry, he whispered furiously and pointed across the field at Ryou and then made a motion under his chin like his were slitting his throat. Ryou gulped. That wasn't a good sign.  
  
((Isn't it against the rules for them to target a single person?)) Yami Bakura asked. Ryou sighed.  
  
((No, I'm afraid not. As long as the Quaffle's in play, I'm a fair target.))  
  
((I don't like this game. I get the feeling they're cheating. That Malfoy kid's looking to put you out of the match.))  
  
((Relax,)) Ryou urged. ((I told you, they're allowed to come at me like that. Now don't talk to me while the match is on or you'll be the one that gets me killed. I need to focus.))  
  
Gryffindor's comeback had placed them a mere ten points from the tie. The injured Slytherin Beater came back and the game continued. Madame Hooch threw the Quaffle back into play. Angelina caught it and made a quick pass to Josie. Ryou got in position, ready to do his part.  
  
Josie handed the ball off to him. He turned towards the goals, only to almost crash into a brute of a Slytherin who was defiantly blocking his path. Ryou pulled up to get around him.  
  
There was a sudden rush of air by his ear. A Bludger had just missed him. Another was heading his way, but Fred came to his rescue and beat it away.  
  
But the Bludgers had served as a distraction. With Ryou's attention elsewhere, two Slytherin Chasers closed in on Ryou from the sides and another from underneath. Ryou didn't have the speed to pull away and they were blocking his quick escape routes.  
  
The only way to go was up. Ryou desperately tried to pull out of the situation. But as he rose, something dove at him from the heavens, too big to be a Bludger. Ryou had to lower his altitude again to dodge, and he found himself once more in Slytherin's trap.  
  
Harry had followed Malfoy in his sudden dive, only to discover that it had not been because of the Snitch. Malfoy almost took Ryou's head off with that dive. Ryou's situation was finally brought to Harry's attention. The twins were at a loss. If they hit a Bludger in an effort to save Ryou, there was also a very good chance they'd end up hitting him. And since Ryou had the Quaffle still, his captives were doing nothing against the rules.  
  
Harry was neck and neck with Malfoy as they both pulled up again. "Call your goons off of Bakura!" Harry shouted. "That's a cheap move and you know it!"  
  
"No confidence in your teammate, Potter?!" Malfoy shouted back, smirking.  
  
Harry wanted to do something but didn't dare. Any move made against the Slytherins could end up hurting Bakura.  
  
From the stands, Malik was yelling his opinions of the Slytherin players (and their mothers) in very loud and obscene words. Yugi, Ron, and Hermione were also up in arms about Slytherin's unbelievably bad form. "Can't they stop them?!" Yugi asked.  
  
"They're not breaking any rules," Hermione said helplessly.  
  
"To Hell with the rules!" Malik shouted. "This shouldn't be allowed!" Ron was inclined to agree.  
  
Ryou panicked. He didn't know what to do. He was caged in. The Slytherins pressed in from the sides and Ryou found himself smashed between them. He couldn't control his flight. He was at their mercy and they weren't too keen on showing him any.  
  
((Drop the ball!)) Yami Bakura ordered. ((They can't do this if you don't have the ball!))  
  
((NO!!!)) Ryou answered. ((I'm not yielding to them!))  
  
((Idiot, you can't win this! Do what you have to do to get out of this!))  
  
"NO!!!" Ryou shouted aloud. He struggled against his captives but to no avail. He was pinched tightly between them. They were now carrying him at a speed faster than his own broom was capable of.  
  
((If you won't do it, I will)) Yami Bakura stated. Ryou felt his other half moving in on his consciousness.  
  
((No, don't!)) Ryou objected.  
  
((You're being stubborn and stupid, and I'm going to do what needs to be done!)) Yami Bakura argued back.  
  
"STOP IT!!!" Ryou shouted the protest at the top of his lungs.  
  
The Ring flashed brilliantly, the light piercing through Ryou's robes as he and the spirit fought for control. The light grew in intensity as the Ring surfaced through Ryou's clothes as if they were nothing.  
  
"Hey!! What the-?!!!" yelled Ryou's captives in their confusion. The light nearly blinded them. They veered off, away from the mysterious glow.  
  
Ryou was free, but the suddenness and speed of his release coupled with his internal struggle left him with nothing but the laws of physics in control of his flight path.  
  
((Back off! They let me go!)) Ryou said as soon as he realized it. Yami Bakura said nothing, but the glow of the Ring ceased. The boy regained himself and desperately tried to get some control over his flight, but he couldn't slow his speed. He looked up and his eyes widened. He was going to crash into to goals! With only seconds before impact, Ryou adjusted his direction as best he could...and shot right through the center goal.  
  
The crowd erupted. Shouts of amazement and encouragement rang out. Bakura wasn't sure why... sure it had been a really tight fit (it gave Ryou the shivers as he now realized just how tight it had been) and the confused Keeper was quite amusing, but it wasn't that great. It was an accident, after all. Then he noticed the Quaffle was still in his hands. He'd just scored. And he tied the game.  
  
Lee was going crazy. "I don't believe it Hogwarts! In a move not seen at this school in over 200 years, Gryffindor evens the score in one of the riskiest plays I've ever seen a Chaser perform!!! Bravo, Bakura!! Good show, indeed!!!"  
  
Malik, Yugi, Ron, and Hermione cheered loudest of all. Not only had Ryou gotten out of a potentially hazardous situation, but he had turned it into points for the team in one awe-inspiring move. It was truly one for the history books. Yugi and Malik were a little concerned about the light they had seen (it was only for a split second, but they knew what it was), but things seemed fine now.  
  
Ryou's heart pounded in his chest and he fought to catch his breath. What he'd just done was slow to register, but when it did, he couldn't have been happier. He'd done something praise-worthy. Something to be proud of, accident or not. He'd probably catch it from Yami Bakura later, but it was worth it. This was a moment where he could really shine. He grinned from ear to ear.  
  
In his moment of joy, Ryou failed to notice the Slytherin Beater behind him. He failed to notice the Bludger hit his way until the last second. He turned to dodge too late to escape. While the Bludger only grazed the top of his head, the aim of the Slytherin Beater's bat was true.  
  
Whether the Slytherin beater had done it intentionally, or if it was a mere accident while trying to hit the Bludger, only the Slytherin team would know. Either way, Ryou was effectively struck down. With a collective gasp from the crowd, Ryou plummeted towards the ground like a stone.  
  
Malik, Yugi, Ron, and Hermione stood aghast, eyes wide. Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth. Helpless, they watched their friend fall.  
  
Twenty feet from the ground, the boy's flight arched up and he regained altitude. His speed slowed...slowed until he was at a silent hover. His head was slightly bowed, allowing his hair to cast a dark shadow over his eyes. A strange golden ring dangled from his neck. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek from a wound on his forehead.  
  
Madame Hooch blew her whistle to halt play before leaving the field to alert Madame Pomfrey. The white-haired boy continued to hover. Silent. A drop of blood fell from his chin, landing on his hand. Then, as if triggered by this small event, the field began to darken. A mysterious shadow slowly moved over them, consuming the field and everyone in it.  
  
A profanity escaped Malik's lips before he moved to action. "Come on, Yugi! We need to get down there, NOW!" Yugi wasn't going to argue.  
  
"Wait! What's going on!" Hermione yelled after them.  
  
"Come on," Ron said. They way he figured it, it would do more good to follow than ask questions.  
  
.............................................................  
  
Yes, my LJ friends have already informed me that I face death for this cliffhanger, but kill me and you'll never know what happens! Wahahaha! 


	37. Yami no Quidditch

Couple important things here. For one, in my effort to remain consistent, this story is, and shall remain, based on the original YGO (manga mostly) up to the end of Battle City (with a few changes made, mostly to keep Malik in the story) with maybe a few things from Ancient Egypt when necessary, and Harry Potter books 1-4 perhaps a few minor details from 5. Which means it's Black Magician, not Dark Magician, Pegasus is dead, and books not directly relative to the Harry Potter plotline (such as Quidditch Through the Ages) were not considered during the writing (I've never even read them). Thanks for pointing out mistakes, but please keep this in mind in the future.  
  
Another VERY IMPORTANT thing. Starting next chapter, The Millennium Library(sennen-ring . net) will be the first place to get updated with new chapters, followed a day or two later by Kokoro no Naka(kokorononaka . net ). Only after these sites have had a couple days will be updated. So in other words, if you want chapters as much as a week earlier than you would have otherwise, check these sites out.  
  
Also, no matter how many times you ask, I will not tell you things relative to future plot developments, such as Seto's involvement. You'll just have to wait with the rest of 'em.  
  
And BTW, last chapter, despite the cliffhanger of evilness, was NOT short by any means. All of my chapters are 3700 plus words (and this one is especially long). Give me a break, eh?  
  
Chapter 37: Yami no Quidditch  
  
...............................  
  
Malik rushed down and out of the stands as fast as he could, taking the stairs two and three at a time and grateful they were already fairly close to the ground. Yugi fought to keep up. Neither seemed to notice that Ron and Hermione were following them.  
  
Upon reaching the ground, Yugi's puzzle glowed and Yami took over, knowing he would likely be needed. Ron halted for a second and did a double take, blinking at the form running in front of him.  
  
Hermione nearly crashed into him. "What! Why'd you stop?!"  
  
"D-did you just see...?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nevermind. Come on, let's hurry!"  
  
In the teacher's section, Dumbledore stood and made his way down as fast as his old body would allow. The other members of the staff stared after him, the majority assuming this was a prank. "Would you like some assistance?" Professor Flitwick offered.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore called back. "Professor White, please come with me."  
  
Sirius did as he was asked. Snape frowned and crossed his arms, no doubt of the opinion that the headmaster could have chosen better help.  
  
Halfway down, Professor McGonagall met up with them. "Albus, what are we to do? I'm not sure I know any spells to stop this!"  
  
The headmaster kept moving as he answered her. "We won't know until we're down there, Minerva." Exasperated, she followed.  
  
"Just how much danger are the students in?!" Sirius questioned, concern for Harry on his mind.  
  
"I'm afraid that depends on several factors I am not yet aware of," Dumbledore answered. Sirius frowned, not liking the situation at all.  
  
The Quidditch players looked at one another for an explanation to the sudden dark fog that seemed to be engulfing them. Several accusations flew at the Weasly twins, but they honestly denied it (though secretly they would have liked to claim responsibility). The darkness struck Harry as familiar, though he couldn't place where he'd seen it.  
  
Malik, Yugi, Ron, and Hermione dashed across the grass towards the playing field. Malik reached it first. He could barely see those inside and it was growing more and more difficult to make them out by the second. Without hesitation, he ran through the shadow until he was enveloped within as well. Yami followed, several steps behind. Though they were baffled by the blackness ahead of them, Hermione and Ron continued on into the shadows as well, making it in just before the darkness finished forming, sealing them in, and everyone else out, as Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Sirius discovered upon their arrival.  
  
Sirius was the first to attempt to enter, being the fastest. He'd seen Ron and Hermione enter, even though their forms were no longer visible. He assumed he could do the same. He plunged into the shadows, but they sent him back out, just the way he'd come in.  
  
"What sorcery is this?" Sirius said, mouth agape as he stared at what was once the Quidditch field.  
  
"Albus, what should we do?" McGonagall said, doing her best to retain her composure, but a slight quiver in her voice gave away how concerned she truly was.  
  
The headmaster eyed the darkness, as if sizing it up. It engulfed the entire field, and no one had emerged from it since its appearance. Dumbledore adjusted the gripe on his staff and reached out with it. The staff penetrated the shadows, and reemerged beside itself.  
  
"Is it a variation of the Impervious charm?" Sirius questioned.  
  
"Perhaps an ancient form?" McGonagall suggested.  
  
"Similar," Dumbledore replied thoughtfully.  
  
"Then the appropriate anti-charm..."  
  
"No," Dumbledore said. "This darkness is composed of a variety of ancient spells fused seamlessly together. Were we to use our magic to disable any one of those spells, we'd run the risk of the shadows collapsing on themselves, putting everyone inside in greater danger."  
  
"Then what, Albus?" McGonagall asked expectantly.  
  
Dumbledore turned to her and Sirius. He seemed to smile with his eyes only. "We trust those inside to handle it."  
  
"You can't be serious," Sirius replied. "We can't just stand idly by-"  
  
Dumbledore put his hand up for silence. "Mr. Bakura has apparently lost control of himself. But Mr. Mouto and Mr. Ishtal are in there as well. They are his allies and they know the magic they're dealing with well. They are far more qualified than we to deal with this event."  
  
Sirius still looked doubtful. "Are you sure that they're even in there?"  
  
"Certainly. Where else would they be at a time like this?"  
  
Sirius and McGonagall knew better than to question the Headmaster's logic.  
  
While this was going on outside, Malik was trying to assess the situation from within. Above him the Quidditch players still flew, some of them laughing at what was most surely a great joke, others darting about nervously, eager for the joke to end. The match was all but forgotten. Even Harry gave up the search for the Snitch (which, along with the Bludgers, kept moving even thought the game was paused) in an effort to find out just what was going on. Bakura had not yet made a move. 'That's good,' Malik thought. If they could get to Bakura and stop him before he started anything further, it would save a lot of trouble.  
  
"Malik?"  
  
Yami's voice broke his train of thought. "What? Have an idea you'd like to offer?"  
  
"We've got additional company."  
  
"Say what?" Malik turned to face Yami, who then turned his own gaze towards what, or who, he was speaking of.  
  
Hermione and Ron's mouths fell open as they stared at their surroundings. "What...the bloody Hell is this?" Ron muttered. Hermione shook her head, for once at a loss for an answer. The darkness swirled around them, seemingly endless, going on forever in all directions. Black upon black, the only things standing out were Malik and Yami in front of them and those on broomsticks overhead.  
  
Malik's eyes widened considerably when he realized what just happened. 'They must have followed us in just before the darkness finished forming,' he thought. 'Now how are we supposed to explain this?' Well, there was no sending them back.  
  
It suddenly occurred to Hermione and Ron when they noticed the eyes on them that they had done something they perhaps shouldn't have. "Well, we, er...didn't know what was going on and we wanted to help..." Hermione murmured. "Um...what exactly is going on here?"  
  
Malik and Yami exchanged glances. The blonde Egyptian smirked suddenly. "I'll leave this one to you, Pharaoh."  
  
"Pharaoh?" Hermione muttered, confused.  
  
"Me? Why me?" Yami demanded.  
  
"Because I have other matters to attend to," Malik said with a wave. "Somebody needs to stop Bakura before he goes completely berserk. And you'd just tick him off more, anyway."  
  
"Wa...Wait, Malik!" But Malik ignored him. Yami really didn't like being in this predicament, and he was sorely tempted to exchange with Yugi and let him deal with it.  
  
"Um..." Hermione spoke up timidly. "I realize Ron and I are probably in over our heads and shouldn't be here. Um...I guess we'll go now." Ron nodded dumbly.  
  
"Try to leave and you'll end up wandering the darkness forever," Yami said.  
  
"Wha...?" Ron said, putting a hand to stop Hermione. "What do you mean?"  
  
Yami sighed. "I hate Malik for leaving me with this," he muttered to himself before addressing his fellow Gryffindors. "Uh, you see...I'll have to give you a brief explanation because I really should make sure Malik is stopping Bakura rather than egging him on...Bakura and I are not quite what we seem...I'm not sure how to explain it exactly." He glanced upward to see Ron and Hermione eyeing him expectantly. Yugi was offering no help. Yami sighed again. Best to focus the attention on Bakura. He was the current problem after all. "You have walked into a Game of Darkness, and we're all stuck here until the game is over, or we bring Bakura to his senses."  
  
"Game of Darkness?" Hermione questioned. "You mean Bakura is the one doing this?"  
  
"Well, yes and no..." Yami replied, not sure how to put what he wanted to say delicately. "See, there's another Bakura and he's the one doing this. He is Bakura's other personality, and he acts rashly when he's angry. Bakura is..."  
  
"Possessed?" Hermione finished, surprisingly unfazed as she came to this conclusion.  
  
"And you're...You're the other Yugi, aren't you?" Ron asked, almost accusingly.  
  
Yami was speechless. He stared blankly at Hermione and Ron, trying to find his voice. "You knew," he said finally. "How?"  
  
Hermione shrugged. "We guessed as much. There were clues here and there."  
  
"We must be losing our touch," Yami murmured, mostly to himself. "I kept our friends back home in the dark for months..."  
  
"This spell..." Hermione said, still in awe at her surroundings. "How did he do this? It seems like very advanced magic..."  
  
Yami was growing concerned with the passage of time. The darkness wasn't dispersing. That meant Malik hadn't talked Bakura down yet, and it had been several minutes. "I know we owe you a proper explanation," he said. "And I promise you'll get it later, but for now..." Yami paused mid-sentence. He heard a chilling sound. A laugh. A laugh he knew all too well.  
  
It seemed this Game of Darkness was just beginning.  
  
.................................................................  
  
Malik yelled to Bakura as he neared. The white-haired boy was about seventy feet in the air, not high by Quidditch standards. He should have been able to hear his fellow calling him from below. But if he did, he offered no response. He remained deathly silent.  
  
"Bakura!" Malik called, not willing to give up. "Come on down! You don't want to do this!" No answer. Malik tried again. "Come on! They're not worth it! Think about what you're doing!" Malik's pleas appeared to be falling on deaf ears, but he kept trying to coax the angry spirit down.  
  
Even if Bakura didn't seem to be listening, Malik's shouts were drawing attention from the other Quidditch players. They paused and stared at him, a few of them flying in closer to see the spectacle and maybe find out what was going on.  
  
Higher above, the Slytherin captain Malfoy was growing panicky. He recognized this shadow as one he had seen before. On Halloween, he'd seen monstrous horrors emerge from this darkness. He knew the cause. And Malik's unexpected arrival didn't calm his nerves in the least. He was sure the Egyptian was in on it. He yelled at the nearest Slytherin Beater, the same one, in fact, who had hit Ryou earlier. "Stop him!" Malfoy ordered, pointing a shaky finger at the silent hovering form. "He's doing this! Take him out!!"  
  
The Slytherin Beater didn't know what else he could do if the first blow had not knocked out the white-haired Gryffindor chaser, but he knew questioning his captain would jeopardize his place on the team. And so he did the only thing that he, as a Beater, knew to do and sent the first Bludger he could reach streaming towards his appointed target.  
  
'Idiot!' Malik thought as he saw the ball shoot through the air, aiming for Bakura once more. "Watch out!!" he yelled. 'That stupid Malfoy is gonna send him even further over the edge!' he thought frantically.  
  
Bakura moved so subtly that few caught the actual movement. One hand released its grip on the handle of his broomstick and rose, making as if to catch or block the Bludger that was about to hit him head on. Then, as if obeying a silent order, the Bludger stopped inches in front of Bakura's outstretched hand. Onlookers were struck dumb. The Bludgers never stopped moving.  
  
The surprises were not over. Bakura drew the frozen Bludger closer with his hand without ever actually touching it. A wicked grin spread across his face and a low laugh rose from his throat. The laugh grew louder, radiating with a maniacal glee and chilling the blood of all who heard it.  
  
The Weasly twins blinked in surprise at their teammate. "Oi, Harry," Fred said, "Did that knock on the head turn 'em nutty?"  
  
"I should hope not," George said, "I wanna know how he did that."  
  
"Yeah," Fred agreed. "I thought nothing could stop a Bludger short of a really strong spell."  
  
"But he never took his wand out..."  
  
"Do ya think he did this blackness, too?"  
  
Harry was nearby, but didn't add to their conversation. He remembered now where he'd seen this shadow before. Where he'd heard that laugh... That day in Sirius' office. The boggart. This was what Bakura had feared more than anything else. Himself...no, this thing that was now in control of him. Maybe it really was an evil spirit. A demon... But no, Sirius said it was nothing they should have had to fear. And Dumbledore must have thought so, too.  
  
Harry glanced downward in his confusion and his heart sank to his stomach. Malik was on the ground beneath Bakura. And running towards him was Yugi, Ron, and Hermione. They were now in the same danger he and his teammates were in. But Malik and Yugi...maybe they knew what to do. If he could just get down there to talk to them...  
  
Bakura's laugh died away gradually. All eyes were on him. He raised his head finally, revealing his gleaming eyes, locked in a narrowed glare. He wore a devilish smirk that spoke silently of ill-intent. The blood drying on the side of his face enhanced his dark expression. The Millennium Ring glistened against his chest. He didn't look anything like the Bakura they'd seen before.  
  
"Perhaps," he said, speaking softly, yet somehow everyone was able to hear him, "it is time we played by my rules."  
  
"Don't do it!" Yami yelled from below.  
  
"Shut up!" Yami Bakura shouted, turning his glare from the Quidditch players to the Pharaoh below. "Unless you want to be a participant, I suggest you back off! That goes for all of you!" He stared at each of the other groundlings in turn. Hermione and Ron were intimidated and shrank away. Yami and Malik glared back but had nowhere near the effect Yami Bakura had.  
  
The dark spirit turned his attention back towards the players and grinned widely. "We're going to play a new game now." The Bludger hovering in his hand suddenly burst into flames. Strange purple flames, which engulfed the ball but did not consume it. Several shocked gasps escaped the spectators. "I'm going to release this ball, and when I do, you'll all take care not to get hit by it. Should it strike you, you'll lose the game...and so much more." He laughed again, low and menacingly.  
  
"Er, Whitey?" George said, "Great gags and all, but don't you think it's time to lay off of it?"  
  
"Even we know when enough is enough," Fred agreed.  
  
"As Beaters, you two should pay extra attention," Yami Bakura said, ignoring their suggestion. "Only the Beaters can protect their teammates. Your friends' well-being is in your hands."  
  
The Weasly twins exchanged glances. "Look, Whitey..."  
  
"Stop...calling me that," Yami Bakura said. "It's always rather irked me." He stared at the rest of the players. "When all members of a team are eliminated, the opposing team is declared the winner. I shall, of course, be playing for Gryffindor in this high-stakes game. Now...I'd say it's time to begin..."  
  
"Wait!" Harry shouted. "What do we lose?!"  
  
"GAME START!!!"  
  
The ball shot from Yami Bakura's hand, streaking across the field towards a Slytherin Chaser, moving easily twice as fast as a normal Bludger. The Chaser narrowly avoided it. The other players took this as a signal to scatter; they all spread out, keeping a watchful eye on the cursed Bludger.  
  
Yami Bakura moved to action as well, climbing higher into the air and getting a good look at the chaos below. The cursed Bludger darted about the field like a comet. It would only be a matter of time before it would catch somebody. Then panic would set in. He licked his lips thinking of it. It had been so long. So long...  
  
He suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone. "Following me, Harry? Interesting strategy."  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Harry demanded. "Who are you?"  
  
"Clever boy," Yami Bakura responded with a grin. "I am merely a dispenser of justice. A wrong was committed against me. I am rectifying it."  
  
"Look, I know they cheated and hurt you, but you can't just do something like this! You're going too far!" Harry shouted.  
  
"And I'm certain you would be the expert on crossing the line to right a wrong," Yami Bakura smirked. Harry opened his mouth to say something back, but no words came out. The dark spirit's grin widened when he saw that he had struck a nerve. "Yes, Harry. I've heard stories about you around school. You have no right to judge."  
  
"But...but this is just some personal issue for you!" Harry said, finally finding his voice. "You're out for no one but yourself!"  
  
"Not quite," Yami Bakura answered. He turned his head sideways and stared at Harry. "You know more than you make known. I appreciate your silence..."  
  
Waves of guilt passed over Harry. Maybe if he'd told someone what he knew, this would have never happened. "I know you're not Bakura," he said.  
  
Yami Bakura gave a short laugh. "Guilty as charged, Sherlock."  
  
"What are you?"  
  
"That is not important."  
  
"But all this time...Why are you doing this now?"  
  
"They could have killed my host," Yami Bakura said, narrowing his eyes. "I want to make sure they never repeat the mistake."  
  
Harry didn't know what to say to that. Was this...thing...really just trying to protect the real Bakura?  
  
"Relax, Harry," Yami Bakura said, interrupting Harry's thoughts and flashing a toothy grin. "You're playing for my team. You can't lose..."  
  
Harry's ears perked up. "Why is that?"  
  
"Dodge."  
  
"What?"  
  
Yami Bakura rotated his broom and made a quick turn, losing altitude along the way. Harry didn't know what was going on at first, but then...  
  
WHOOSH!  
  
Harry had to jerk back suddenly. The cursed Bludger came flying through the spot where he and Bakura had just been talking - struck by a Slytherin Beater (who looked absolutely terrified). Harry shook his head to get over the scare. 'Just what happens when you're hit by that thing?' Harry thought, though he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.  
  
Harry looked around. Bakura was gone and Harry didn't see where he went. He did see Ron and Hermione waving their arms wildly far below. With a quick look around to make sure there was no danger, he went into a dive and pulled up beside Hermione, Ron, Yugi, and Malik.  
  
"Harry!" Ron shouted at him excitedly. "Harry, that's the other Bakura. He's gone mad!"  
  
"I know," Harry replied.  
  
"Bakura may have lost his temper, but he's not acting without thinking. He's just too angry to care about the repercussions. I doubt he'll listen to any of us," Yami said. "What did he tell you up there?"  
  
Harry pursed his lips together as he noticed this was the other Yugi. It made him uncomfortable now. "He said he was getting revenge for them hurting his host, or something like that," he said. "He also said that Gryffindor couldn't lose."  
  
"And why is that?" Malik asked.  
  
Harry shook his head. "He took off before telling me."  
  
"Don't you know how to stop him?" Ron asked, turning to Yami and Malik. "Don't you have a counter spell or something? You use the same magic, right?"  
  
"It doesn't work that way," Yami replied. "Only the person who starts a dark game can stop it."  
  
"Is there nothing we can do?" Hermione asked anxiously wringing her hands together.  
  
"Hold up," Harry said. "I'm still in this game of his. Just what is Bakura doing? He cursed that Bludger, but to do what?"  
  
Yami and Malik shared a look that showed that neither wanted to be the one to say. Yami turned and eyed, Malik, silently saying that there was no way he was going to be stuck with the explanation again.  
  
Malik scratched his head, trying to think of a way to phrase what he needed to say. "Uh, well...Bakura has this, um, special power to...uh..."  
  
They were interrupted by a flash of light, followed by a scream. A Slytherin Chaser had been struck by the cursed Bludger and though he had only been grazed, he was now falling towards the ground. Automatically, Hermione pulled out her wand and shouted a spell. The fallen player slowed and landed softly on the ground. He did not move. Many of the other players panicked and tried to get as far away as they dared. Others sobbed softly in fear.  
  
"What happened?" Ron asked, his mouth hanging open.  
  
"Uh, well that's what Bakura does," Malik said. "He, um, has the power to steal souls and he likes to seal them in inanimate objects. It's his trademark, really..."  
  
"He WHAT?!" Harry, Ron, and Hermione exclaimed at once.  
  
"He trapped my friends in Duel Monster cards and made me duel with them the first time we met," Yami said. "It's seems he cursed that Bludger to capture the soul of whoever it touches."  
  
"So you are telling me," Harry said, speaking slowly, "that if I get hit by that thing, it's going to steal my soul?!"  
  
"Uh, yeah, that about sums it up," Malik said with a nod.  
  
Harry threw his hands up in the air in an exasperated manner. "So now what am I supposed to do?! I left my wand in the changing room! I'm defenseless and so is the rest of the team!"  
  
"Get out there and just make sure you stay far away from that cursed ball," Yami said. "We'll try to get something together down here. We can get back the souls - don't worry. You better get back to the game, before Bakura notices."  
  
Harry wasn't happy about it, but as he had not other ideas, he did as was suggested.  
  
"So now what?" Ron asked, as he nervously watched Harry fly off.  
  
"If Bakura is unable to continue, then the game would end," Malik said. "If we...I don't know...knock him out again or something that should do it. Course, if it doesn't work, he would just get ticked off at us, too. And Bakura's already building on one knock to the head. Anything done to stop him will hurt the real Bakura, too. Gods, why did that idiot have to go and blow his top? He's ruining it for the rest of us."  
  
"What about a stunning spell?" Hermione asked. "He would lose consciousness, but the spell won't hurt him."  
  
"That might just work," Malik said, a thoughtful look on his face. "I nominate you for the job, Pharaoh."  
  
"You what?" Yami said. He couldn't believe Malik was trying to do this to him again. "Why me?"  
  
"Well, obviously, you're most suited for the job," Malik said matter-of- factly. "Yugi's good with wand work, and thus, so are you. And you have that knack for winning in any situation, Mr. King of Games."  
  
"King of Games or not, my feet stay on the ground," Yami protested. He wasn't afraid of going against Yami Bakura. He just very much did not want to get on one of those bewitched brooms.  
  
"Now you know I'm no good at wand work," Malik said. "I'd fly up there and Bakura'd just laugh at me as I screw up the spell."  
  
"I-I can do-do it," Hermione spoke up nervously. "I know the spell and I can fly a little."  
  
Malik gave Yami a look intended to make him feel guilty. It worked.  
  
"No," Yami said with a sigh. "We need you on the ground to keep those who fall from getting hurt. And I couldn't let you get involved in this. Either of you," he added, sparing Ron the obligation of having to volunteer. "Seeing as Malik is completely useless, I guess I'll have to do it." Malik clapped him on the back supportively. Yami just glared at him.  
  
Hermione used a summoning spell to "borrow" the fallen Slytherin Chaser's broom, a Nimbus two-thousand-and-one. She then proceeded to instruct Yami on the spell he would need to cast.  
  
"Just point and yell 'Stupefy,'" she said. "If you hit him, he should be out like a light."  
  
Yami still couldn't believe he was doing this. While Yugi was relatively good at using a wand, Yami had yet to try it. He was quite comfortable using his own magic and had never seen the need to use wizard's sorcery. Yugi volunteered to do it instead, but Yami was not about to let his lighter half step into a game of darkness against Yami Bakura.  
  
High above, Malfoy was behaving less than valiantly after his teammate had been struck down by the cursed Bludger. He couldn't tell if the player was hurt, dead, or something else. He only knew he did not want to suffer the same fate. Having seen Harry speak with Bakura, Malfoy was convinced that all of his rivals were ganging up against him. "Potter!" he yelled accusingly as he flew closer to Harry. "Call him off!"  
  
"Don't you think I would if I could?" Harry yelled back angrily.  
  
"You're in on this!" Malfoy continued. "Don't pretend you're not! You're all going to get expelled, and that's if you're lucky! Once my father hears of this, you'll end up in Azkaban!"  
  
"This is mostly your fault!" Harry shouted. "You and your flunkies kept hassling him and he snapped! You almost deserve this!"  
  
"That's not how everyone else is going to see this, Potter!" Malfoy said, and even Harry had to admit he was right. Even if they managed to stop Bakura and get everything back to the way it was, there was little hope for the boy remaining at school.  
  
There was another flash of light and a Slytherin Beater fell. Hermione made sure he landed softly. Yami Bakura smirked when he saw the Beater struck. He circled in and nicked the Beater's bat, effectively arming himself. As he rose back into the air, he became aware of the newest player in his game. He narrowed his eyes. "Who told you to interfere?"  
  
"You've got to stop this!" Yami said. "You're causing trouble for all of us with this stunt."  
  
"I'd say the damage is already done," Yami Bakura sneered. "I might as well have my fun."  
  
"Tomb Robber, don't make me-"  
  
"Don't make you what?" Yami Bakura interrupted. "I'm doing nothing that you wouldn't do in my place. These mortals have to be taught a lesson."  
  
"But you are not the one to teach it," Yami shot back.  
  
"Just try and stop me!"  
  
Yami Bakura took off, deciding that if Yami was going to join in, he was going to have to increase the challenge, and he saw the opportunity out the corner of his eye.  
  
Yami pursued him rather awkwardly and didn't possess the skills to catch him if Yami Bakura didn't want to be caught. But he didn't need to catch him. He just needed to get close enough to cast the spell (and then hope it worked). Suddenly, something came flying at him. Yami flailed about in a clumsy dodge as a bright ball of purple flames shot past him. He stared up at the source after regaining his balance. Yami Bakura, looking somewhat pleased with himself held a Beater's bat, having apparently just swung it. Yami couldn't believe the Spirit of the Ring had the audacity to...  
  
But it was more than just a personal attack on the Pharaoh, as Yami soon saw. Streaking against the blackness was not one, but two cursed Bludgers. Yami Bakura had just doubled the difficulty of the game.  
  
On the ground, Malik could see that Yami was not fairing so well against Yami Bakura. The Pharaoh would never be able to get close enough to cast the spell at this rate. This was really one of the dumbest, most thoughtless things he could remember Yami Bakura ever doing. Once the shadow magic was invoked, the Ring Spirit was like a wild animal that had just gotten its first taste of blood – he became thirsty for more and was unlikely to listen to reason. Anger fueled him, and then his sadistic nature took over. The real Bakura was going to get so much grief for this...  
  
The thought of Ryou made Malik's insides knot up in guilt. He'd promised to stop the Spirit of the Ring's next foolish plan, and here he was, standing idly by and letting Yami do all the work. It was true that Malik was horrible at spells, but at least he would be able to get close enough to cast one. He knew what he had to do. He just hoped Yami Bakura wouldn't resent him for it when he came back to his senses.  
  
Malik sighed heavily. "Hermione, how does that stunning spell go again?"  
  
Hermione blinked at him in confusion. "Stupefy," she replied. "You're not going up there, too, are you?"  
  
"I have to," Malik answered. "I have a promise to keep."  
  
"Wait," Hermione urged, "If you cast the spell wrong, you could-"  
  
As usual, Malik wasn't listening. He ran towards the nearest fallen player and borrowed a broomstick. Mounting it after a running start, he took to the air. Hermione tried to stop him, but another soul-less player plummeted towards the ground (this time it was Josie, a Gryffindor Chaser) and she had to soften the landing.  
  
Quidditch players were dropping like flies from both teams now that there were two soul-stealing Bludgers flying at double-speed. Yami Bakura watched sadistically over the chaos, sending one of the Bludgers flying at the nearest Slytherin whenever the opportunity arose, and moving about just enough to keep a safe distance from the King of Games, who couldn't seem to operate his broom and his wand at the same time. Yami Bakura wondered vaguely just what the pharaoh thought he was going to do. The Dark Spirit cocked an eyebrow in interest when Malik joined the game, but was unimpressed.  
  
"Et tu, Malik? Come to spoil my fun as well?" he asked as Malik neared.  
  
"When your fun involves getting the other Bakura kicked out of school, then yes," Malik replied.  
  
"Better Ryou gets kicked out of school than face these mortals and their constant harassments and unprovoked attacks."  
  
"Is that the way he feels?"  
  
Yami Bakura didn't reply. Figuring he was touching upon the right subject, Malik pressed the matter. "How do you think he'll react when he sees that you've once again put his friends in danger?" Malik asked. "Do you think he'll still trust you when he finds out that you acted without considering his feelings again?"  
  
"Just shut up!" Yami Bakura shouted angrily. "I know what I'm doing-"  
  
"No you don't! If you did, you wouldn't be doing it! I know you better than that! You just got lost in the moment. But you can still call off the game!"  
  
"No!" Yami Bakura declared defiantly.  
  
"STUPEFY!"  
  
At the sound of Yami's spell, Yami Bakura's eyes widened and he instinctively dodged left to avoid it. Malik nearly fell off his broom trying to evade the spell himself. "You nearly hit me, you clumsy idiot," he said crossly. "Don't aim your wand where I'm flying!"  
  
"Don't fly where I'm aiming my wand," Yami retorted, at a loss for patience. He'd finally gotten close enough and he missed. Now Yami Bakura was putting distance between them again, and sent a Bludger their way to throw them off even more. It didn't look like they were going to stop him in time.  
  
Harry watched helplessly as Yami and Malik fought to subdue the possessed Bakura. He wished he could do more. Angelina, Josie, and Dean had all been struck by the cursed Bludgers and now lay soul-less on the ground. Fred and George were doing their best, but were tiring. They wouldn't be able to keep up the fight much longer and both were feeling guilty at being unable to protect their teammates throughout this nightmare. Neither wanted to believe this was real.  
  
Something small and golden flew just past Harry's nose. The Snitch was still loose. The thought came to Harry that perhaps catching it would end this game just like it ended normal Quidditch. It was worth a shot. Harry flew after it finding it more difficult to keep track of with no sunlight to reflect off of it.  
  
Slytherin was worse off than Gryffindor, having lost their Keeper, two Chasers, and both Beaters. Malfoy had taken a bat from a fallen Beater and was using it for added defense, leaving his only remaining teammate to fend for himself.  
  
Seeing that the person he most wanted punished had not yet been sparked Yami Bakura further. Whatever the Pharaoh and Malik did, he wasn't going to allow Malfoy to escape unscathed. As if sensing the eyes on him, Malfoy glanced downward and saw the angry spirit staring at him. His eyes widened fearfully. "You stay away from m-me," he said shakily. Yami Bakura grinned in response, flashing his sharp canines.  
  
Malfoy decided it would be a good idea to put as much space between himself and the white-haired psychopath as possible. Undaunted, Yami Bakura pursued.  
  
Yami saw that Yami Bakura was now targeting Malfoy and he drew Malik's attention to this. Perhaps they could make use of that.  
  
Malfoy would have traded his right arm for his wand. His Nimbus two- thousand-and-one was much faster than Bakura's Solar Flare, but he was still simply too close for comfort. Seeing a Bludger ahead, Malfoy put together a desperate plan. Armed with the Beater's bat, he flew towards it and in a frantic attempt at self-preservation, he hit the cursed ball at Yami Bakura.  
  
The Spirit had been waiting for this. The possibility that Yami Bakura could hit it back had never crossed Malfoy's mind, and he certainly had not prepared for that scenario. He swung to hit it back and missed. A flash of light later and Malfoy dropped like a rock to Yami Bakura's echoing manic laughter. Had anyone other than Hermione been saving the falling players, they probably would have let Malfoy hit the ground with the full force of gravity.  
  
Yami Bakura ran his tongue over his teeth. One. Slytherin. Left... And then the game would be won. Taking advantage of the distraction, Yami had positioned himself strategically above Yami Bakura, wand at ready. Closer, just a little closer... But the Ring Spirit glanced upwards and saw him. "STUPEFY!" Yami shouted, even though he wasn't close enough to trust him aim. Sure enough, he missed. Yami Bakura sneered at him before lowering his altitude and retreated...right to where Malik was waiting for him.  
  
On the other side of the field, Harry was closing the distance between himself and the Golden Snitch. He reached a hand out, almost able to reach it.  
  
The confidence faded from Yami Bakura's expression as he faced Malik's drawn wand. Malik truthfully did not want to be in this position. Yami was really supposed to be the one doing this. But unwilling to let the berserk spirit escape again (this really was for his own good) Malik had to attempt the spell.  
  
"STUPEFY!" he yelled, just as across the field Harry's hand closed around the Snitch. The spell hit Yami Bakura, point-blank. As the Spirit of the Millennium Ring fell, the darkness gave way to the light of day. Hermione cushioned his fall.  
  
.............................................  
  
"Oh, I'm going to get expelled!" Ryou wailed.  
  
He had awoken in the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey had treated his head injury, but after hearing what when on while he was out, he wished he had not woken up at all.  
  
After the darkness had lifted, the cursed Bludgers returned to normal, as had all who had been struck by them. Yami Bakura had thrown some factors into the game that no one had expected, such as ensuring that all who played in the game had no memory of the events, excluding those with millennium magic. Even Harry didn't remember. Ron and Hermione were a different story, however, as they didn't actually participate in the game. He also manipulated the flow of time in the game. While the event seemed to last an hour or more to those on the inside of the darkness, on the outside, the shadows lasted for only a few minutes.  
  
When the shadows dispersed, they left quite a scene behind. The majority of the Quidditch players were waking up on the ground, not certain how they got there. Those still in the air were equally shocked (Harry didn't even remember catching the Snitch). No one threw accusations at Bakura, not even Malfoy, and all were surprised to see Yugi, Malik, Ron, and Hermione there. Students both on the field and off were anxious for an explanation.  
  
Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Sirius knew what had happened (at least vaguely) but were greatly relieved to see that everyone was in one piece. The seriousness of the situation was not forgotten, however.  
  
Dumbledore walked solemnly over to where Bakura lay accompanied by Hermione and Ron, and soon after Malik and Yami (who both landed rather roughly). He stared at the unconscious boy for a moment, then turned to the students around him. "I thank you for your help," he said.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore," Malik said, moving at once to Bakura's defense, "I know this looks bad for him, but he was provoked and-"  
  
Dumbledore raised a hand for silence. "It will be discussed later," he said. Malik shut his mouth and looked helplessly from Bakura to Dumbledore and back again.  
  
Though Harry had caught the Snitch, it was decided that there was no winner and the game was called off, much to the disappointment of those in the stands. They trudged back to Hogwarts castle, trading rumors and guesses about the mysterious shadow. Bakura was taken to the hospital wing, where he now fretted about his uncertain future.  
  
"It'll be okay," Hermione said, trying to comfort Ryou. "They know it's not your fault."  
  
"Exactly, it's that thing!" Ryou said, pointing at the golden ring he had tossed angrily to floor after hearing of his other half's actions. "But they're not going to risk keeping me around! They're going to ship me back to Japan the first chance they get."  
  
"But everything turned out okay," Harry said. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore wants to keep you in school." Having no memory of the Game of Darkness himself, Ron and Hermione had filled Harry in while waiting for Bakura to awaken. Then Yugi (who had regained control) and Malik were obliged to explain their own situation. As they were more or less caught, they spilled out all the details. They told of the Millennium Items, Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura's past existence in Egypt, Malik's and the Yamis' history of violence and their change of heart, and important role dueling and Games of Darkness had played. The only detail left out was the involvement of Malik's dark personality. Malik still didn't feel comfortable with that topic.  
  
The Gryffindors where shocked to hear the intricate history behind Yugi, Bakura, and Malik. A thousand questions popped into Hermione's mind, and she was disappointed to discover that neither Yami, nor Yami Bakura had any memory of their life in Egypt. Ron remembered now reading an article while on his holiday in Egypt about the Ghouls, warning of the newly formed gang and their thievery. Yugi and Malik allowed them to ask their questions and make their connections. They figured they owed them as much.  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione, in return, explained how they were able to guess about the possession. Yugi would have never suspected that a hiding ghost would be the one to blow their cover. The Boggart Ryou had seen had served as a major hint as well, cluing Harry in enough so that he was able to see the subtle changes between host and yami. The three were about to tell Yugi and Malik of their own adventures when Ryou woke up.  
  
Now that everyone was at an understanding, comforting Ryou had taken top priority. He was terribly upset and seemed to hold no hope for himself. He was also furious with his dark half. Malik took the task of defending the spirit, as Yami Bakura couldn't defend himself.  
  
"He was angry because they hurt you," Malik said. "You know how he loses it once he gets into a game."  
  
"No excuse," Ryou said firmly. "Taking out his revenge on Malfoy is one thing, but Harry, the twins, and all my other teammates were involved in that as well. This is unforgivable."  
  
"I wouldn't say that he threw their safety to the wind," Yami said, surprisingly taking control to defend Yami Bakura of all things. Perhaps he was at a certain understanding because the Ring Spirit had been correct when he said that the Pharaoh would have done the same thing were if Yugi who was attacked. "His game was fail-safe...in favor of Gryffindor."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked.  
  
"In your other half's usual spirit of unfair play, the game was set up so that Gryffindor would not suffer permanently under the game's penalties."  
  
"Explain," Ryou said.  
  
"The rules of the game were that the first team to be wiped out was the loser. But he was playing for Gryffindor. For his team to lose, he would have to be among those to fall to the cursed Bludger. But if he lost, the game would end automatically anyway, because he would no longer be around to supply the shadow magic. The stolen souls would have been returned unharmed. The game was rigged so that even if he lost, Gryffindor would be safe."  
  
Ryou blinked in astonishment at Yami's deduction. He wasn't the only one taken by surprise.  
  
"So he really was only out to punish Slytherin," Harry said.  
  
"Humph," Malik scoffed. "So the psycho did know what he was doing, kinda... He must have subconsciously remembered that Gryffindor wasn't his enemy when he plotted that game. Ya know, before he totally lost himself to old habits."  
  
"Or it was completely by accident and I'm just looking into this too far," Yami said with a shrug. Nevertheless, Ryou's expression had softened when next he looked at the Ring. Unfortunately, he didn't feel any better about his future at Hogwarts.  
  
"Whether what you say is true or not, Professor Dumbledore's not going to be able to overlook the fact that the other me tried to steal the Slytherin Quidditch team's souls," Ryou said forlornly.  
  
An awkward silence followed where no one knew what to say. But the silence was broken by the sudden soft "tap, tap, tap," of a beak against the glass window. Ron went to check it out.  
  
"It's Nightshade," he said as he flung open the shutter. Nightshade fluttered in, landing on the post of Ryou's hospital bed, a piece of paper tied around her leg.  
  
"That's it," Ryou said, his voice bordering on a sob. "My dismissal papers. They're kicking me out..."  
  
"Oh, I'm sure they wouldn't do that way," Hermione said. "If they were going to expel you, Dumbledore would at least have the courtesy to tell you in person." Somehow, this didn't comfort Ryou.  
  
Nightshade left her perch and flew over to Ryou, landing on his knee and stretching her leg out to be relieved of her burden. Ryou untied the message, then felt guilty because he had no reward offer the raven. She ruffled her feathers indignantly. "Promise I'll give you double next time," Ryou apologized.  
  
He spread open the letter to find that it was, in fact, two pieces of paper: a hastily scrawled letter addressed to both him and Yugi, and a newspaper article.  
  
"It's from your Grampa," he said to Yami. "'Thought you should see this,'" he read, translating the Japanese in his head.  
  
"What's that article?" Yami asked.  
  
Ryou's mouth fell open as he read the headline. Yami waited impatiently for an answer. "Well, what does it say?" he asked finally.  
  
Ryou bit his lip. "It says, 'Kaiba Mansion attacked...'"  
  
..................................  
  
I'm going to shoot anyone who says this chapter is "too short"... 


	38. Issues of Trust

Yes, yes, yes… It has been a really long time since I updated. Forgive me, college required my full attention. But I have a nice block of time off now, so hopefully I can put a few chapters out before I have to go back to school. Be aware that next semester I am taking 20 hours of credit, so we'll be lucky if I get any chapters done at that time. Enjoy the updates while they last.

On that note, with all the requests for updates and, um, threats… I now quite understand what Rowling must go through. I will never again complain about her work or the length of time it takes her to put out each book for I quite understand how she must feel.

Updates will continue to be posted on sennen-ring . net and kokorononaka . net first. Fanfiction. net has ticked me off as of late by deleting my story, "Millennium Switch" due to script format. No warning. No "save your story and reviews because they will soon be gone." (but I did anyway, thank the gods, just weeks before) A whopping big thanks to the ass who reported me.

Also, I wish to recognize the feelings of the reviewer who felt that Malfoy's insult early on in the story (when they first met) was offensive. Let it be known that I, personally, have respect for every religion and am in no way racist or hateful. But sorry, it won't be changed. I used that statement on purpose to convey Malfoy's lack of respect towards anyone or anything. He wanted to hit where it hurt. It shows that he holds nothing sacred and never considers himself to be out of bounds. There are hateful people like that in the world, and in this story, Malfoy is one of them. This was not something I just made up as part of his character either. If Malfoy is cannonly prejudice against non pure-blood wizards, it stands to reason that he would also be prejudice against other races and religions. It was not a stab at the Islamic religion on my part. If Malfoy's character had believed Malik to be of any other faith, an equally insulting term would have been used. If he had know Malik's faith leaned more towards the Egyptian gods, he would have called him a "dirty pagan" or something along those lines. Be aware should the case had been different, I would have also substituted the name with "Jesus" or "Moses" or any other religious figure where appropriate. Thank you for informing me of your concerns. I respect your opinions and your beliefs. I only hope that you can respect my decisions as well. If you still feel that I am being unfair or unreasonable, feel free to e-mail me on the matter.

Last thing… A while back someone sent me a link to a site which provided evidence both for and against the theory that the character killed in the fifth Harry Potter might still be alive. I lost that site when my computer decided to go kaplooey. If anybody knows of that site (which I believe used the symbolism of "Beyond the Veil" in it's theories) please let me know in a review or an e-mail. Thanks.

Chapter 38: Issues of Trust

……………………………

"'At 5:15 in the morning on Thursday, Domino Police received a call from the Kaiba mansion's automated security system indicating a break-in. This was soon confirmed by an electronic message from Mr. Kaiba himself. Police arrived on the scene to discover that the estate had been severely damaged by what they are calling "an act of terrorism". Authorities believe that powerful explosives were used in the attack, but they have yet to find evidence of such. Seto Kaiba and younger brother Mokuba both escaped without injuries; however, four of their employees have been found dead, and six injured. Two of the deceased are believed to have perished in the explosion and the resulting fire. The other two died of causes currently unknown.

"Surveillance footage has yet to be retrieved. Police are working with the report given by Mr. Kaiba, who claims the attackers were dressed in black robes and spoke English. Police witnessed the suspects at the scene, but were unable to detain them. The suspects are still at large.

"Authorities suspect Kaiba Corporation's business rivals could be responsible for the attack. When questioned, all denied involvement. Mr. Kaiba has reported that the attackers were searching for something but claims no knowledge of what.

"Mr. Kaiba (who is the president and CEO of Kaiba Corporation) advises stockholders not to panic. Business will be conducted as usual. Kaiba Corporation will continue to provide service to customers and personal setbacks will not affect the condition of the company.'"

The article continued to discuss the business related effects of the attack, but Ryou did not feel inclined to read it. He set it down on the bed beside him, the front-page image of the mansion in ruins face down, for he didn't want to look at it anymore. An awkward silence filled the room as what he just read sank in.

"So that's it," Malik said, finally breaking the silence. "Those Death Eaters know where all of us live now. Didn't take them long, did it? I hope Kaiba's smart enough to stay hidden for a while."

"I can send him a letter," Yami said, "but I doubt he'll believe a word of it."

"Wait, wait, why are you assuming that it's Death Eaters?" Ron said.

"We know it's them," Malik replied, frustrated and angry. He didn't feel the need to say anything more, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione to assess the situation for themselves.

"Black robed English speakers and mysterious muggle deaths," Hermione thought aloud. "It certainly does sound like Death Eaters."

"I take it this Kaiba person is a friend of yours?" Harry asked.

"Not a friend really," Yami answered, a bit of a scowl on his face due to the fact that Kaiba was the topic of conversation. "More like a rival. Obsessed with winning and a sore loser to boot. He's the CEO of the company that invented and manufactures the Duel Disk. Kaiba Corp. is one of the biggest gaming companies around. But Kaiba's very close-minded. Doesn't believe in magic, no matter how much of he's seen. He's very no-nonsense. Thinks there's a rational explanation to everything."

"Oh, he's one of those," Harry said. "I know the type." From Yugi's description, this Kaiba fellow sounded like a combination of Malfoy and the Dursleys. He pictured Kaiba as the typical computer geek with thick glasses and a bad complexion. For some reason, this stereotype he imagined also had slick bleach-blonde hair…

"I'm sure Kaiba has enough sense to leave the city if he thinks there's an assassination group after him," Ryou said, though he sounded more hopeful than sure.

"But this Kaiba person sounds like your typical muggle," Harry said. "Rich, but typical. Why would Death Eaters be after him? For that matter, why would they be after any of you?"

Just then, Professor Dumbledore appeared in the doorway of the hospital wing flanked by Professor McGonagall and Sirius (complete with his Professor White disguise). Ryou immediately shrank back apprehensively as if trying to hide behind Ron and Malik. He was both afraid and ashamed to see his professors.

"Awake, I see," Dumbledore said upon seeing Ryou despite the boy's efforts.

Ryou gulped. "Yes," he said simply. He tried to read the headmaster's tone of voice, but could detect no emotion in it. He couldn't tell if Dumbledore was angry, disappointed, or something else, and this uncertainty made Ryou all the more anxious.

"Um…Maybe we should go," Harry said, thinking there was an upcoming conversation that they had no business being a part of.

"Stay where you are, Harry," Sirius said. "Seeing as you three just had to get involved, we need to speak with you as well."

"We told them willingly, Professor," Yami said, sensing that Harry, Ron, and Hermione might get into trouble over this.

"We thought as much," Professor McGonagall said. "But if you are going to trust them with this knowledge, they must be aware of the seriousness of the situation."

"We will get to that shortly," said Professor Dumbledore. "The matter of the Quidditch game must be dealt with first."

Ryou cast his eyes downward and didn't dare look up. "I…I'm sorry, Professor," he said, voice quivering. "I knew this could happen when I started playing, but I…I just didn't think…it could be this bad…" Ryou had been preparing himself for the worst and thought that he would be able to handle it. But this was proving difficult. Tears threatened at the corners of Ryou's eyes but he refused to wipe them away, choosing instead to ignore them. He wanted so badly to stay at Hogwarts. He had thought this would be the perfect place for him; he didn't fit in anywhere else. But if it was determined that he didn't belong here as well, then just where did he belong? What was left for him?

He wished the others weren't in the room. Getting expelled was bad enough, but for it to happen in front of all his friends made it all the worse. He didn't know how much longer he could retain his composure; he didn't want to cry in front of them. He had at least that much dignity left in him.

Ryou heard Dumbledore's footsteps as the headmaster neared him. 'Here it comes,' Ryou thought. 'Sorry son, but we can't put the other students at risk. You'll have to leave.' He shut his eyes tightly against the thought. They were going to send him back to Domino. Where he would be alone. Where the Death Eaters were already looking…

He heard Dumbledore stop just in front of him. There was silence…and then….

"I believe this belongs to you."

Confused, Ryou opened his eyes and lifted his head to see the headmaster holding out the Millennium Ring. He had picked it up from its lonely spot on the floor and was now offering it back to its owner. Taken completely by surprise by this gesture, Ryou accepted it without thought and laid it to rest in his lap. Upon coming in contact with the Ring, Ryou felt the presence of his other self return to the back of his mind. But the spirit said nothing to him, and Ryou didn't feel the need to speak to him either.

"You certainly did give us all quite a scare," Dumbledore said. "If your friends had not been so quick to react, I'm not sure what we would have done."

"I'm sorry," was all Ryou could say.

"Even though your fellow Quidditch players don't seem to remember a thing," said Professor McGonagall, "this game has left a lot for us to have to explain. The entire field disappearing in shadow is not something one typically sees."

"Not to mention someone could have been seriously hurt," Sirius added.

"But no one was," Malik said, interrupting the flow of the conversation. "So no harm, no foul." 'They don't know everything that went on in the shadows, anyway,' thought Malik.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple," McGonagall replied. "We can't just ignore-"

"If you expel him, I'm leaving, too," Malik said defiantly, arms crossed. He wasn't sure if this would accomplish anything (certainly they would be happy to be rid of him) but he felt he had to do something. Ryou stared at him, mouth agape. He had a newfound appreciation for Malik.

"The same goes for me," Yami said after he had agreed on it with Yugi, who really hoped they wouldn't call him on it; he really did want to stay at school. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were greatly impressed by the devotion the friends had for one another. It reminded them of their own experiences.

Ryou almost lost control of himself due to sheer gratitude. He never thought Yugi and Malik would be willing to throw so much away for him. But he couldn't in good conscious allow them to do that.

"Guys, really…don't…"

"We can't let you just get thrown out," Malik said.

"Boys, this is all very touching," Professor McGonagall said, "but no one is getting thrown out."

Ryou blinked up at her. "I…You mean I'm not…"

"No," Professor Dumbledore said. "We did not come here to expel you. We go to great lengths to help our students through problems that are no fault of their own so that they may study with us. If we were able to provide a werewolf with an education, we can do the same for you." He cast knowing eyes at Sirius who nodded. "We must, however," Dumbledore continued, "come to an understanding so that this does not happen again."

Ryou was so dumbfounded that he wasn't going to be expelled that the rest of Dumbledore's words took a moment to register. "Well, I don't know what I could do. I can't very well stop him. And I can't just rid myself of him either," he added, knowing that no matter how angry the spirit might make him, he was unwilling to part with the Ring for an extended period of time and always had been. He continued. "And I don't know what preventatives I could take short of…of quitting Quidditch."

"Oh, no, I don't think that will be necessary," Professor McGonagall said.

"No," Professor Dumbledore agreed. "I understand why your other half acted as he did. He said himself at our first meeting that he would retaliate if you were harmed. The Slytherin team did indeed rely on underhanded tactics, but they are still young and even professional Quidditch can be very violent. They did not deserve such treatment."

"Don't feed me that line," Ryou said, his voice suddenly sounding angry as he stared down at the Ring in his lap. Several people in the room blinked in surprise at Ryou's mood change. All save those who were experienced and knowledgeable enough to know better. "They deserved more than they got. And I would have seen to it had I not been interrupted." The spirit cast livid eyes in Malik and Yami's direction as if daring them to take him on again.

"A good chance we did," Malik said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Let it go. You would have regretted it later."

"I regret nothing…" Yami Bakura said, low and fuming. He lifted his head so that all could see the furious look upon his face. "You know that. I would have done well to have fed their pathetic souls to the darkness."

"Their souls?" Sirius said. "You were… trying to steal their souls?"

'Geez, Bakura, shut up!' Malik thought. 'They don't know just what you did. You're just digging yourself deeper.' But Yami Bakura, of course, did not hear Malik's silent plea, and even if he had, chances were he wouldn't have listened.

"It was a fitting punishment," Yami Bakura said, obviously set in his decision.

"You really think anyone deserves that?" Sirius asked.

"I do," Yami Bakura said without hesitance. He glared at Sirius for questioning him.

Sirius went slightly pale. He'd spent fourteen years under the constant threat of losing his soul to the Dementors and now here he was standing beside a normally innocent-looking boy who had the power to steal a person's soul and, what was even more frightening, was willing to do so.

Yami wanted to hit Yami Bakura. These Hogwarts people were trying to treat him and his host fairly despite all the trouble he caused, and he was still acting like a jerk. Did he want to get Bakura expelled? Yami figured the other spirit was still fuming over the Quidditch game, but that was not an acceptable excuse. He should have had more than enough time to cool off anyway. Though the spirit of the Ring could hold a grudge for centuries, he never seemed to hold on to any emotion for too long these days. It was normal for the tomb robber to be moody after not getting his way, but Yami found it odd that Yami Bakura was still this mad.

As Sirius and McGonagall didn't know how to handle Yami Bakura both looked to Dumbledore expectantly. The old headmaster didn't appear to be phased by Yami Bakura's rage. "Please do not be angry with us," Dumbledore said calmly. "No one in this room has done you any harm."

"Nor have you done me any good," Yami Bakura snapped. He picked the Ring up from his lap and placed it once more around his neck, not breaking the gaze he had fixed on Dumbledore.

"Please, Mr. Bakura," McGonagall said, stepping in. "We are trying to help. We would like your host to remain and finish his studies if at all possible. We can get past this unfortunate event if only we could reestablish the trust that this will never-"

"Trust?" Yami Bakura said, seething with insuppressible rage. "Trust?! You dare speak to me about TRUST?!" He grabbed the newspaper clipping at his side, and flung it angrily at Dumbledore, hitting the old headmaster in the torso with the crumpled up paper. Several gasps were uttered at Yami Bakura's bold disrespect. Hermione covered her mouth in shock. McGonagall and Sirius were too taken by surprise to think to scold the spirit for his action. Dumbledore alone seemed to be unimpressed with the action itself and instead concerned about its cause.

The headmaster held out his hand and the crumpled paper floated up from where it had landed at his feet, flattening and smoothing itself out as it rose. He caught it and, adjusting his half-moon spectacles, he eyed the front of the page.

"First they attack Malik's home, then they attack our hometown," Yami Bakura said, the volume of his voice steadily rising. "Just when were you going to tell us that your enemies were after us?! When were you going to tell us that they knew about the Millennium Items?!!"

Realization dawned in the room. Yami and Malik now understood why Yami Bakura was mad all over again. This was no longer about the Quidditch game. He was taking the knowledge of the attack in Domino very seriously. They half-expected the room to start darkening.

Now that they knew why the Death Eaters were after their new friends, Harry, Ron, and Hermione became aware that the already confusing situation had just got a lot more complicated. These items seemed so magical. What would happen if the dark forces were to gain that power…?

"They stole all the clues they needed from the museum!" Yami Bakura continued to rant, breathing heavily in his anger. "They've already used it to find Kaiba, how long before they connect him to Yugi?! And him to the rest of us?! Battle City was a highly publicized event and we were all there! Were you planning to wait until they were at our doorstep before you warned us?! Well, they're there! You act all high, mighty, and noble, but the only reason you're putting up with us here is so that your enemies don't get something that may prove to be a disadvantage to you! Namely, us!"

Professor McGonagall's lips were pressed into a tight white line. The students could tell that she very much wanted to say something (her first instincts were always to defend Dumbledore), but out of respect for the headmaster, she said nothing and waited for him to act. Dumbledore, however, waited patiently for Yami Bakura to finish.

"Yes, I admit to knowing that the dark forces were after you magical items. But you are wrong about my intentions. I had your best interests in mind, not my own," Dumbledore said when the dark spirit fell silent. "I had intended to spare you from the anxiety that comes with this knowledge for as long as possible. I felt it would be more dangerous for you to know. I didn't want to risk you acting on this information. You are safe within the walls of Hogwarts, and there seemed to be no immediate need to worry you."

"Teacher, I have been on this earth for over three-thousand years…" Yami Bakura said, he glare never wavering, "I am not a child in need of your protection. I do not need you to tell me what is best for me or my host. That is not your place."

"Perhaps," Dumbledore said, "but the welfare of this school is my place and I was not going to jeopardize it. Trust me when I say that when events such as this are concerned, the fewer people who know about it, the better. I did not think it necessary for you to know more than you had to. Giving you information about the Death Eaters and their goals was a risk I was not willing to take."

"We had a right to know," Yami Bakura said. "If we knew nothing about them, what would happen if we eventually faced them?"

"Oh?" Dumbledore said, his eyes suddenly shining. "Then, now that you know, you must have a plan worked out incase you should meet them. You must know exactly what to do."

Yami Bakura opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. Knowing or not knowing about the potential danger that lay ahead, he had no idea how to handle the situation should it arise.

"Your silence speaks volumes," Professor Dumbledore said. "As I expected, you are no better off now than you were before."

"What about the people we left behind?" Malik said, offering an argument given that Yami Bakura seemed to have none to offer. "Our families are in danger." Both he and Yami were somewhat angry at being kept in the dark, but they were showing more patience and control than Yami Bakura appeared to be capable of. Dumbledore's explanation made sense to them and they could accept his reasoning even if they didn't agree with it. They were both more worried than anything else.

"I have taken that into consideration, Mr. Ishtal," Dumbledore answered. "After I discovered the aims of the Death Eaters, I paid a visit to both Egypt and Japan." Yami Bakura cocked an eyebrow suspiciously but waited for Dumbledore to continue. "Your sister and brother," he said, directing his attention to Malik, "had already left for the United States when I got there. The Egyptian Association of Magic-Users is already protecting the museum. The appearance of Death Eaters reflects badly upon them. I have informed them that the museum employees could also be in danger, and they kindly agreed to watch out for them. Your family is being protected even while they are out of the country. The E.A.M.U. cares greatly for their reputation, and wouldn't want more deaths to tarnish it."

"You're grandfather's shop is protected, too," Dumbledore continued, turning to Yami. "I placed a charm on the store. It is now inaccessible to anyone with ill intent. I'm afraid it's not an exceptionally powerful spell, but it shall have to do until we can provide a better one. I would suggest a secret-keeper, but I somehow doubt you grandfather would appreciate the effect that would have on his business. I also have asked local wizards to keep an eye out. They have a strong alliance against the dark forces." He turned to Yami Bakura. "I have taken the same precautions at your apartment."

Yami Bakura frowned. "Do not keep such secrets from me in the future."

"I'm afraid I can't promise that," Dumbledore said. "The school comes first. I cannot in good conscience give you information that may endanger you or your fellow students. But I will tell you what I can, if you insist."

Yami Bakura continued to glare, obviously not satisfied with this answer. He would find out information for himself, then. And he, of course, had secrets that he would also not be sharing.

Yami stood with his arms crossed as he listened to what was said. Dumbledore did seem to have all of their best interests in mind, and he had gone to the trouble of protecting all of their families. As long as these dark wizards didn't know that he, Bakura, and Malik were at Hogwarts, it seemed things would be fine.

"I had not foreseen this, however," Dumbledore said, once again examining the newspaper. "I had not realized that more than just your family could be in danger. Is this Seto Kaiba person also connected to the Millennium items? Judging from the amount of trouble the Death Eaters went through, they certainly must have thought so."

"Yeah he…wait, you can read Japanese?" Malik said.

"It has replaced Gobbledygook in my mind," Dumbledore said. "I thought it might be wise for as long as I have Japanese students present at my school. I have gained the ability to speak Arabic as well. I thought it might come in handy."

"Yeah well…" Malik was somewhat impressed by how prepared Dumbledore was. "Yes, Kaiba is connected to the Items. He is the reincarnation of the High Priest who once owned the Millennium Rod, though he doesn't believe it. The Death Eaters must have found him by using that stone tablet they stole from the museum. It did have Kaiba and Yugi's faces on it."

"Indeed," Dumbledore said, once more adjusting his glasses and eyeing the newspaper one last time before placing it in it's original spot on the bed. "Perhaps I should get in touch with Mr. Kaiba…" His gaze focused once more on Yami Bakura, who still appeared rather ticked off. "The matter of how we will handle your recent behavior still must be discussed. Your personal dissatisfaction with me is no excuse to put my students in danger."

Yami Bakura cocked an eye. Was this old fool really considering a punishment?

"In case you should lose control of yourself again," Dumbledore said, "I shall have to inform more members of the staff about your special circumstances, as much as I would prefer not to."

"What?!" Yami Bakura yelled, enraged once more. "Didn't you just say that the fewer people who know the better?! And now you intend to blab our secrets to anyone who happens to teach a class here?!"

"Please hear me out before you let your temper get the best of you, Mr. Bakura," Dumbledore said calmly. Yami Bakura fumed, narrowed his gaze even further, but said nothing.

"It would not be fair to your other self, who has done nothing wrong, to punish you by removal from certain activities or even the school. However, the other students must be protected as well. So I will inform a few of my trusted staff members of the basic knowledge of your situation and give explicit orders not to share this information with another soul."

"And their word that they won't say anything would be good enough for you?" Yami Bakura said sarcastically.

"Certainly," Dumbledore replied, taking no note of Yami Bakura's attitude. "I would trust any one of them with my very life, and have on several occasion." The spirit of the Ring scoffed openly.

"During our last meeting you said you would keep quiet if we wanted you to," Yami Bakura pointed out. "Are you going back on your word?"

"I do not intend to," Dumbledore answered calmly. "The matters discussed during that meeting shall not be mentioned if you wish for my continued silence. I only wish to inform a few trusted individuals with the information which you volunteered during our first meeting. I believe that with more informed professors to keep watch, we will all be a little safer. Trust me when I say I did not easily reach this decision. However, I feel it is best. If you disagree, feel free to place all your anger and blame upon me. And be forewarned, all three of you," he glanced at Yami and Malik, "Those I select to inform _will_ be told about these games of darkness. And each will be instructed to stun you should they see any signs of any such game."

"WHAT?!" This time, Malik joined Yami Bakura in anger.

"Again, hate me if you must," Dumbledore said smoothly in response to their outrage. "I know it may seem a little harsh, but I am left with few options. I believe your magic and our own would not mix well, so I'm afraid we have no simple counter spell with which to stop you should you lose control of yourself. I have determined this is the best way to discourage any more outbreaks of dark games. The stunning spell would not hurt you, as Mr. Bakura could tell you."

Yami Bakura did know that this was true. He could not remember any pain or discomfort from when Malik had hit him with the spell. It had been like falling asleep, or, more accurately, slipping into a faint.

"But you're going to blow the whistle on me and Yugi, too?!" Malik shouted. "Why us?! We didn't do anything wrong! How does this fit in with your justice?! How are we supposed to defend ourselves around here if you won't let us use our magic?!"

"Please Mr. Ishtal," said Dumbledore, "it would be an insult to the intelligence of my staff to think that they wouldn't guess. Certainly if one of you possessed a different magic, all three of you would. It's not every year that we have international students who start off in fifth year, you know. And if every other student can handle themselves without millennium magic, then I am sure that you can as well. Within the walls of Hogwarts, you should have no need of it."

"Calm down," Yami instructed Malik. "What's the big deal? So no games of darkness? It's not so much to ask. I, for one, haven't felt the need to start one since being here."

"Well, aren't you special?" Yami Bakura mocked. He was sorely tempted to bring up the fact that traveling miles away from school to duel in front of a small audience had been entirely the pharaoh's idea. But the thought occurred to him that such a statement might just make more trouble. Instead, he thought of something better to mention. He turned to look at Dumbledore. "Just who are you planning to tell? Which teachers? You said it won't be all of them, right?"

"Correct," Dumbledore answered. "If it will make you feel more comfortable to know…" Dumbledore tilted his head upwards slightly, as if pondering his choices. "As you can tell, professors McGonagall and White are already well included. I believe I shall also inform Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, Madam Hooch, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Sinistra, and Professor Snape."

'Oh, not that idiot,' Yami Bakura thought, shaking his head at the mentioning of Snape. Yami, too, was most displeased. Snape was already unfair to Yugi and Bakura… what would he do once he possessed this precious knowledge? Yami also had a feeling that Snape would be looking for any excuse to stun them. Well, to stun Bakura and him, at least… Malik didn't look too upset about the list of names. But then Snape was quite fond of him.

"We understand each other then?" the headmaster asked. Yami Bakura and Malik merely nodded and Yami gave a halfhearted "Yes…"

"Very good then," said Dumbledore. He turned slightly so that he was now facing Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "You three should also understand that you now have vital information. What you have learned today must never be repeated, as I'm sure you already know. I trust there will be no problems with secrecy or, ahem, heroic schemes?" The Gryffindors nodded, grinning sheepishly. They understood the message: they were not to get too involved.

"Well now, I have matters to attend to," the headmaster said as he turned to the door.

"Wait, Professor!" Harry called after him. "What about the Quidditch match?"

"We will call it a draw," Dumbledore replied. "The winner of the Cup shall be determined by your other matches later this year. But I'm sure it was a most spectacular game. I was impressed by what I did see." Dumbledore smiled as he stepped through the double doors of the hospital wing, Sirius and Professor McGonagall on his heels. His warm, comforting expression put much of the room at ease. Even Yami Bakura could not help but feel its effects in spite of himself, though he later suspected that the headmaster must have bewitched him.

Quite ready to leave the hospital wing, Yami Bakura stood and began putting his shoes back on.

"Wait," Hermione said, "Are you sure you should be leaving? Madam Pomfrey might want-"

"I'm fine," Yami Bakura interrupted. He was more than a little uncomfortable having new people around who knew his secret, with another batch of them on the horizon. Due to his secretive nature, he was much happier to be thought of as one of Ryou's mood swings.

"No cure for stubbornness, I'm afraid," Yami said.

"Pfft!" was Yami Bakura's response. But the majority of his anger was gone and Yami was neither impressed nor intimidated by the general bitterness left in the wake of Yami Bakura's outrage. The spirit of the Ring trudged across the room, and, without saying another word, went right on out. Malik sighed, shrugged at his fellows, and then proceeded to follow Yami Bakura.

"I don't think he's happy about us knowing about him," Harry said once Yami Bakura and Malik had gone. He also felt this was probably an understatement.

"He's rarely happy about anything," Yami replied, taking a seat on the foot of the bed. "He'll get over it. In a few days, maybe even a few hours, he'll be back to his old, psychotic, trouble-making and argumentative self. Pay him no mind."

"Well…" Harry started to say something and them paused.

"Yes?" Yami said.

"Ah, well…um, I don't know what to call you," Harry said, stumbling over his own words. "You're not really Yugi."

"The spirit of the Ring and I don't have names," Yami replied, eyes downcast. "At least none that we can recall. If you must refer to me as something other than 'Yugi', I suppose you may call me Yami or Pharaoh as everyone else seems to have taken to calling me. Just don't do so when others are around. It's bad enough that half the staff is already going to know about me. Not much of a secret anymore."

"Oh. Okay, um, Yami."

"It's so strange that you can't remember anything," Hermione said. "Not even your names. It's kinda sad. I guess I can understand why the other Bakura is so bitter."

There was silence. Yami wasn't sure how he felt about this sympathy. Hermione thought for a moment that perhaps she shouldn't have voiced her thoughts. She looked around nervously until her eyes fell on the newspaper article. She picked it up out of curiosity. She, of course, couldn't understand a word of it, but thought the pictures might be worth a look. She examined the photo of the nearly destroyed mansion before her eyes fell to something lower in the article. "This isn't him, is it?" she asked, pointing to a photo of a boy not much older than herself. The boy had brown hair, blue eyes, and a very serious expression. Just beside him was another photo of a much younger boy with the same blue eyes and long black hair. Hermione leaned over so that Yami could see.

"Kaiba? Yes, that's him. And his little brother Mokuba."

"You're kidding?!" Hermione exclaimed. "This guy's the CEO of a muti-million dollar international corporation? But he's so young! He can't be more than eighteen!"

Yami shrugged, apparently not understanding why all this was so surprising. "His step-father died and Kaiba inherited the company."

"But…how can someone that young possibly be able to do something like that?" Hermione asked, still unbelieving.

Yami frowned. "Kaiba's intelligent. I'll give him that. Obsessive with barely enough personality to fill a thimble, but intelligent."

"He must be a genius!" Hermione said, ignoring Yami's negative comments.

"Imagine," Ron said, "being that well off right from the start. Set for life right off the back like that." Ron, whose large family had always had very little in the way of money, was always a little envious of those who never had to worry about finances.

The pharaoh scowled. He wished the conversation would turn to another topic not related to his rival. At least Harry didn't seem nearly as impressed as Ron and Hermione.

"Well, considering we're standing next to a three thousand year old pharaoh and I recently came close to having my soul stolen by a tomb robber, a teenage businessman doesn't seem so odd," Harry said nonchalantly.

Nobody argued his point.

There seemed to be no purpose in lingering in the hospital wing, so Yami, Harry, Ron, and Hermione headed out towards the Great Hall. Supper would be served soon. Hermione was still carrying the newspaper clipping with her and was constantly eyeing it.

"Hermione," Ron said finally, "no matter how much you stare at that paper, you still won't be able to read it. I know it must be devastating to know that there's something in print that you can't read but…"

Hermione ignored him. "Hey, um…" She looked around to make sure there was nobody around who could hear her. "Yami," she said quietly, "Malik said this Kaiba person was connected to the Millennium items. Do you think Dumbledore plans to invite him to Hogwarts?"

Yami looked positively scandalized. "Gods, I hope not!"

Hermione was taken aback. She had not expected such a reaction. "But Malik had said…"

"Kaiba hates magic," Yami said flatly. "Just as he hates everything he can't understand. He stubbornly refuses to believe in it, even when it's staring him in the face. Even hinting that he might believe or even have an interest in magic would make him angry. He would take an invitation to Hogwarts as a personal insult."

Hermione looked disappointed. She didn't say anything more on the subject. She also did not dispose of the newspaper article.

They walked in silence for a moment. Then Ron laughed suddenly.

"I wonder why Hagrid wasn't one of the teachers Dumbledore mentioned," Ron said smartly.

………………………………………………………….

Yami Bakura and Malik were loitering in the halls on their way to supper as well. Yami Bakura had cooled off significantly, which made Malik feel that he wouldn't be pushing his luck to bring up the events of earlier that day. Besides, now that he was away from Yami and the rest, he could express some of his true feelings.

"You may have caused a load of trouble and risked getting all of us kicked out," Malik said, smiling, "but that was a brilliant game. Cursed Bludgers. Nice. And the look on Malfoy's face! Priceless!" Now that the danger and consequences were over, Malik saw the whole event as a big joke. He couldn't help himself. His inner trouble-maker greatly enjoyed Yami Bakura's deeds.

"I'm good at what I do," Yami Bakura said with a smirk.

"Don't get me wrong, I hate that Dumbledore's going to give the staff permission to put us out of the game, so to speak. And it is all your fault," Malik said, to make sure that Yami Bakura didn't forget that he was responsible. "But that was some nice work. The time alterations and everything. The truth now - you had that planned out ahead of time, didn't you?"

"Heh, you know me too well," Yami Bakura replied, grinning widely now. "Yeah, I'd been thinking about what a excellent shadow game Quidditch would make for a while. But I wasn't really planning to do it. That is, until they pissed me off. Then I no longer saw any reason not to."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Malik said with a laugh.

"Scary place, isn't it?"

"What I don't understand," Malik said, "is why you fixed it so that people would forget the shadow game. I mean, sure it would have meant that nobody would know what you had done, but you went and told those teachers anyway. And now Malfoy and the rest of his team haven't learned anything."

"Do you really thing I would do all that for nothing?" Yami Bakura asked.

Yami Bakura and Malik's conversation was interrupted when they turned a corner and met the Weasly twins who were quick to grab their attention. "Oi!" the twins called when they saw them. Fred and George walked up to them, showing no signs of having just been in a shadow game. "We were just on our way to the hospital wing to check on you. Doing alright, Bakura?"

Yami Bakura grinned in a way that seemed suspiciously satisfied. "Fine, thanks."

"Wow, was that crazy or what?" Fred said. "One second the game's paused for your injury, and the next half the team's on the ground and Harry's caught the Snitch. Wonder how they're gonna call that one."

"Draw," Yami Bakura said simply, with that satisfied grin still plastered to his face, leaving Malik to wonder why.

"Really?" George said. "Well, could have been worse. Thought they might have tried to pin all that on us and disqualify us for cheating or something."

"Though it really should be Slytherin to be disqualified," Fred said bitterly. "They played especially dirty this time. We promise the games against Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff won't be like that."

"I should hope not," Yami Bakura said.

"Well, we've got to find the rest of the team to make sure they're okay, too," said George. "Dean's a nervous wreck but seems like he'll be all right."

"Bit of a traumatic first game," Fred said with a nod.

"We'll see you later Bakura. You too, Malik," and with that, the twins went down the hall where Yami Bakura and Malik had just come. Malik finally turned to Bakura. "Okay, what is it?" he asked.

"That was the answer to your question."

"Fred and George?" Malik asked, not understanding. "They answered the all for nothing question?"

"In a way," Yami Bakura replied.

"Explanation, please?"

"You may have noticed that they have stopped calling me by that annoying nickname."

"Whitey?"

"That's the one," Yami Bakura said. "During the game, I mentioned in passing that I didn't like being called by that name. And now they don't use it anymore."

Malik stared curiously at Yami Bakura. "What did you…?"

"Simple," Yami Bakura answered. "While they aren't aware that the game took place, they subconsciously remember it. The twins remembered that I don't like that name without realizing that I ever even said it."

"That's not simple," Malik said frowning.

"Shadow games have a funny way of affecting people," Yami Bakura said, smiling smartly. "Nobody ever REALLY forgets them. I once turned Ryou's gym teacher into a lead figurine because he was disrespectful towards my host. He was later released and had no memories of his time as a game piece, but he never once bothered Ryou again. He knew not to mess with him. It's like the instinct is burned into them. They know without knowing. Confused yet?"

"Greatly," Malik said, blinking. "But I think I kinda get it. So Malfoy-"

"Will never bother Ryou or me again," Yami Bakura said, the satisfied grin having returned.

"Brilliant!" Malik said approvingly. He placed his arms behind his head as they walked and grinned thoughtfully. "I wonder if we can get around the teachers and have another little game. That really was excellent work. I'd love to see just how creative you could be. What do you think you can do with that wizard's chess game? Somehow, I can imagine a little Malfoy pawn and-"

"Malik!"

Malik was dumbstruck in mid-sentence. The other Gryffindors were just behind them, Yami angrily tapping his foot and staring him down with narrowed eyes. Malik's mouth hung open slightly as he fought to find his voice.

"Ah…and…and I know that's what you would do Bakura, but I forbid it! You're little childish games have already caused enough trouble and Yami and I can't be there to watch you all the time. You simply must learn to control yourself and…and show a little restraint and maturity. There! Now…now don't do anything like that ever again!"

Yami Bakura cocked an eyebrow as he watched Malik struggle, barely holding back a laugh. "Give it up, Malik," Yami Bakura advised once the blonde had run out of things to say.

Malik did indeed give in, realizing he was caught. He stared down at his feet and avoided Yami's gaze.

"I should have known you would just encourage him, Malik," Yami said. "Honestly, you're no better than he is!"

Of course, thought he would never say it, the truth was Yami had been toying with the idea of a wizard's chess shadow game for weeks… But nobody needed to know that.

……………………………………………………

Alright, alright, not much action this chapter, but I needed to fill in some gaps so that I could get on with the story. Should be getting into some major plot development soon! 'Til next time! (whenever that is…)

The concept of a wizard's chess shadow game was inspired by a short snippet sent to me long ago by Beth, AKA The Mad Fangirl. Thanks girl! I still have those saved!


	39. On the Rooftop Observatory

Once again, Sennen-ring . net and Kokorononaka . net get the chapters at about week before they appear here. And as an added bonus, on Sennen-ring . net I am able to reply to your reviews right there on the site! So especially if you have questions or comments you would like me to reply to, go to that site. Because, let's face it, I'm not very good about remembering to reply to things mentioned in the reviews.

Chapter 39: On the Rooftop Observatory

…………………………………………..

A dark-clad, greasy-haired man stood facing the aging figure sitting at the desk before him. Though the man was silent, his expression made it clear that there were a great many things which he wanted to say, but due to respect or possibly even intimidation, dared not.

"I know you must be angry with me for not telling you sooner, Severus," Dumbledore said, sounding tired, yet patient.

Professor Snape continued to appear as if he were biting back a comment. He chose his words carefully as he spoke. "I'm…sure you had your reasons."

"I would have informed you right after the sorting were it not for the fact that you were still running missions for us. I trust you whole-heartedly, but this was information we could not afford to give should the worst happen."

"I…understand," Snape said, though clearly he was still not happy.

"But now…" Dumbledore stood and began pacing slowly across the room. "Now that the Death Eaters are well aware that you are a spy and you will have no more missions –"

"I could still be of some service to the cause," Snape interrupted, slightly surprised at his own rudeness towards the headmaster. He cleared his voice of emotion before speaking again. "What I mean is that being discovered once does not mean that there is nothing I can do."

"I'm afraid it does," Dumbledore said solemnly. "By now, every Death Eater within a hundred miles will be on the look-out for you."

"Then I will go two hundred miles," Snape said defiantly.

"Severus, I understand your frustrations," Dumbledore replied. "But your services have already been most helpful. Now you are really needed here. Life at Hogwarts is not as simple as it once was." The old headmaster smiled at this little joke. Hogwarts life had never been simple.

Snape was not amused. "The school was under control well enough with my attention elsewhere."

"But things are more dangerous now," Dumbledore said as he continued his slow pace. "Voldemort is dangerously close to discovering the location of the items and I fear for the safety of our students."

"Then I should be investigating just how close he is," Snape said stubbornly. Dumbledore shook his head.

"I know how close he is, and that is why I am worried."

"But surely with the aide of a disguise I could-"

"I'm sorry, Severus, the matter is closed," Dumbledore said with finality. "The risk is too high. And we shall need your expertise in the field of the dark arts here, I'm afraid."

"I may have knowledge of the dark arts, headmaster," Snape said stubbornly, "but I am no more equipped to deal with three thousand year old magic than anyone else."

Dumbledore sighed and adjusted his half-moon spectacles. "Please understand my position. Even in all my years, rarely have I come across a situation as complex and potentially hazardous as this. The trust these boys and the spirits have in us is waning and I'm afraid that is my fault. But unfortunately for everyone to remain safe, some people will just have to be unhappy with me. And I am afraid that you are one of them. I am asking for your help in monitoring young masters Mouto, Bakura, and Ishtal."

Professor Snape fumed silently. "I shall do as you wish," he said finally.

"I appreciate your cooperation, Severus."

…………………………………………..

The student body seemed to readily accept the rumors that the mysterious shadow over the Quidditch field had been caused by a prank and the guilty party was just being especially careful not to get caught due to the risk of harsh punishments. Some still believed that the Weasly twins were the cause. Many thought that it had been an attempt at cheating on the Slytherin team's part that backfired. No one ever came close to the truth and a couple weeks later, most seemed to have dismissed the matter entirely.

Harry and Ron were both fascinated by Yugi, Ryou, and Malik's situation, but they had nothing on Hermione, who was so full of questions that she bombarded the three item holders every chance she got.

"So there's seven in all and among the three of you, you have five," Hermione said as she, Harry, Ron, Yugi, Malik, and Bakura all sat under a tree near the lake. It was surely one of the last nice days they would have before winter set in for the long haul, and they were all determined to make the most of it. They were well out of earshot, and so they could speak freely.

"That's right," Yugi said. He was sprawled out with his charms book and a lengthy piece of parchment. He chewed absentmindedly on the tip of his quill as he contemplated how to finish up his essay on mood-altering charms.

"Pretty neat how you can do all that powerful magic without having to learn a single spell."

"Ron!"

"What, Hermione? Certainly seems easier. And no problems with mussing things up and casting the wrong spell, eh?"

"Can't say I've ever had problems with that," Malik said. He was laying idly on his stomach, picking bits of grass and allowing them fly in the cold wind of the approaching winter.

"Then why learn wizard magic at all?" Ron asked.

"Our magic is limited as far as what we can do with it," Yugi replied. "It's not very…" He searched for the right word. "Practical."

"You call turning a turtle into a teapot 'practical'?" Malik interjected.

"Well, not that per say…" said Yugi. "But other than the unique powers offered to each item, our magic generally lends itself to game play with the occasional offensive and defensive stuff. Our magic isn't really for everyday use. It would wear us out if we tried that."

"Wear you out?" Harry said curiously.

"Yeah. Our magic is kinda fueled by our own…spiritual energy. If not for the other me, I doubt I could do much with the puzzle. I've been in a shadow game where I had to actually supply the energy. Believe me, it's not fun."

"Oh, then you usually don't draw on your own magic," Hermione concluded.

"Up until the point that Dumbledore contacted me, I didn't know I had any magic of my own. I thought it all came from the puzzle. But besides all that, I for one, wouldn't mind learning a few new tricks of my own. I'd like to be able to do some magic myself. I think that's why Bakura's here, too. That and he's really into all this magic and wizards and weird creatures stuff."

"Learning new tricks is nice," Malik piped in, thoughtfulness in his voice. "But I like having this wizard world as another option for me. I don't really know anything useful except magic and thievery. I've done the thief thing, and I don't really want to do that for the rest of my life. But since most of my magic is illegal among you wizard types, if I wanna get along, I better learn to adjust my methods."

Yami Bakura was leaning against the tree just a short distance away from where the others were engaged in conversation. He had long since grown quite tired of the tell-all sessions Malik and Yugi had been having with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and he didn't want to be part of it. So he was feigning sleep. He still didn't approve of sharing their secrets. It was bad enough that the teachers at Hogwarts and those dopes back in Domino knew what they did. Was it really wise to be telling these three anything they wanted to know simply because they knew the initial secret? He couldn't see any good coming from it. In fact, he had a bad feeling about all of it. Yami Bakura would purge all their memories if he thought he could get away with it. But Ryou, the pharaoh, and perhaps even Malik would not stand for it. Yami Bakura didn't understand it, but the others seemed to like the fact that Harry, Ron, and Hermione knew. They seemed to find comfort in it. Ryou had told him that it made them feel accepted to know these fellow students knew of their dark circumstances and didn't hold any of it against them. But Yami Bakura didn't see how that was comforting. After all, they would never know what Harry, Ron, and Hermione really thought.

Unless they used the Millennium Eye, of course…

"I still must wonder… Why were the items made?" Hermione continued. "And how?"

"'Fraid we don't know the answer to that," Malik answered. "The history of the Millennium items is as much a mystery to us as it is to anyone. Maybe we'll find out if and when these two get their memories back."

"You've said that the pharaoh gave up his memories to seal some evil all those years ago, right?" Hermione said.

"That's how we understand it," Yugi replied, not looking up from his parchment.

"Why then," Hermione continued, lowering her voice slightly, "doesn't HE have his memories." Her eyes focused on Yami Bakura and the others followed her gaze. Feeling the attention on him, Yami Bakura opened one eye, annoyed.

"Actually, I never really thought about that," Yugi said, still chewing on his quill. It was a good question. He knew that the pharaoh had given up his memories in order to seal the evil, as they had already said. But what had Yami Bakura done to lose his memories?

Malik gave a little laugh. "Maybe he was the evil that was sealed, heh…"

Malik's comment was met with silence and he ceased his laugh immediately. He'd only meant it as a joke, but it seemed that the possibility that there was truth in what he'd said was being contemplated by his fellows. And now that he thought about it himself… No, no, it couldn't be true…Could it?

/Well, that's what I've always thought,\\ said a voice in the back of Yugi's mind.

/Yami!\\ Yugi scolded.

/Well what other explanation is there?\\ the pharaoh asked. /Surely you don't think that he did anything good or noble to get himself trapped in that Ring. We both know well what he's capable of. And while one may go as far as to say he's docile compared with what he used to be, we can't be sure that he won't change back just as fast.\\

/I wish you wouldn't say things like that,\\ Yugi said. /Must you be so suspicious and negative? Why is he the only one who doesn't deserve a second chance?\\

/Because he is the only one who was led entirely by his own lust for power.\\ Yami replied. /Malik wanted revenge for something he didn't understand in the first place. Pegasus was trying to reunite with his dead lover. Even Kaiba has a miserable childhood to blame all his eccentricities and selfish exploits upon. But the dark Bakura has no excuses and no reasoning behind his actions. He was (and I'm convinced still is) guided only by his own selfish desires.\\

/That's still not fair,\\ Yugi said. /There must be some reason or something that we just don't understand. And besides…you changed, why can't he?\\

That, the pharaoh had no answer for. He didn't know why his inherent distrust of the other spirit was so strong. But that feeling was rooted deep within him and he had faith in it.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all considering what Malik had said very seriously. While they, of course, didn't actually know what happened back in ancient Egypt and they had only known of Yami Bakura's existence for a short while, this explanation did make sense. What they knew of Yami Bakura consisted largely of what they saw of him back at the Quidditch game and in the hospital wing. And that display certainly did make the banished evil theory seem quite possible.

Yami Bakura hadn't heard the initial question, but he'd heard enough to get the idea. Enough to know exactly what was going through the minds of the others. And that knowledge irritated him greatly. Just why was he the topic of conversation, anyway? This girl was asking questions that she had no right to be asking. And she was sparking those questioning, suspicious looks from the others. And Yami Bakura didn't like that. Perhaps he should convey to these mortals just how he felt about the matter. Slowly, he sat up straight.

Malik saw the expression on the Ring spirit's face as he started to move and wished he had never opened his mouth. He wished that for once, he had thought about what he was saying before he said it, for now it seemed that he had unwittingly triggered yet another of Yami Bakura's moods.

"You seem so eager to speak of our past and our exploits, girl," the spirit said darkly as he stood and walked closer to them. "Why not speak instead of the endeavors that you three have been through? I've heard much about them from the endless chattering and gossiping of those silly girls who follow my host around. Ryou paid little attention from where he hid from them at the back of our mind, but I faced them and I listened."

Yami Bakura now stood before the spot where Hermione sat with Ron and Harry. Hermione dared not speak for fear that she would incite him further and for guilt that she may have helped inspire this anger. She really didn't mean to. She was fascinated by Yugi, Malik, and Bakura's story and only wanted to understand them. But she'd asked the wrong question. Her eyes darted to Harry and Ron for help, but the boys were looking questioningly to Yugi and Malik. Unfortunately, they also had little help to offer. Both Yugi and Malik tried to calm their fellow down, but their urgings fell upon deaf ears.

"Yes, from what I've heard, you've had many interesting adventures indeed," the Ring spirit continued. "But I'm sure that there is much more to say than what I have heard. Why don't you three favor us with the details? About how you secured the fabled sorcerer's stone and killed your first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

"Wait, it's not like that-" Harry tried to explain, but the dark Bakura would not allow his interjection.

"Or what about how young Harry is able to speak with snakes? A sign of evil and darkness among you wizards, isn't it? What about how your second Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher went mad?"

"But you don't understand-" came Ron's attempt to settle the spirit. But it was also in vain. Yami Bakura continued on, without so much as taking a breath.

"Or the harsh gossip there's been about you over the last few years? Or about how all of you have nearly been killed several times since you first came here? How about the powerful evil forces that desire your death and nobody seems to know exactly why. And that boy, just last year, who was killed… supposedly because he was in the wrong place when Harry's enemies came around. Killed because of his association with young Harry-"

Hermione stood quickly and with a sudden movement, her hand swept across Yami Bakura's face. His head turned with the blow, and white hair swinging with its movement to curtain over his face. The boys stared at her in shock and silence, and in truth, Hermione was equally shocked by her behavior, but she hid it well behind a mask of bold righteousness and anger. The dark Bakura was being cruel and unfair; the things he was referring to were horrible enough on their own, and he was twisting them around to make them sound even worse. And to bring up Cedric Diggory's death was just a low blow. It was terrible of him to want to bring up these things that they didn't want to think about – that he couldn't possibly understand. Hermione very much wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. The moment seemed to last an age despite its actual length of only a few seconds.

Yami Bakura was not the least bit shocked. When he turned back to face Hermione, he wore a smile that was a mixture of satisfaction and smugness. He had accomplished what he had meant to. He felt he had made his point.

Harry was angry at first with the way Yami Bakura was contorting their adventures, many of which Harry had personally always been quite proud. The way he placed emphasis an all the bad parts, forcing those terrifying and horrific moments to play back through Harry's mind. To make him feel guilty and miserable all over again… Then suddenly he understood. Yami Bakura would never come out and say it, but he must have hated not knowing about himself. And asking these questions must have reopened the wounds. And these questions didn't shine the best light on him. Like the way the Dark Bakura had not allowed them to explain the bad deeds of which he spoke, so were they coming to conclusions while not knowing the whole story… Because for the most part, the spirit didn't know himself to tell them. Harry turned to Hermione and saw a look of realization pass over her face as well. Ron, however, still looked outraged.

"We all have things that we rather not discuss," the Yami Bakura said, placing a slow emphasis on each word. "And I would rather you leave me out of your deliberations entirely. If little Yugi, the pharaoh, Malik, and my host wish to confide in you three, then so be it, but leave me to unlock my own doors before you come knocking." He turned and sent one last glare in Malik's direction. He didn't come out and blame Malik for saying what he did, but he didn't have to. The look said everything.

Malik sighed heavily. "There he goes again," he muttered as Yami Bakura headed back toward the castle, no doubt to go sulk on the astronomy tower again. "Never know what's going to set him off anymore. I guess he's still mad about the secret being out."

"He does make his point clear," Hermione said guiltily.

"What point?" Ron said angrily. "Seemed to me like he was just being a jerk."

"He doesn't want his past thrown in his face, Ron," Harry said. "He can't remember it, so he can't deny or explain anything. So he turned our past on us and didn't give us a chance to explain before he put a negative spin on things."

"But…Well…" Ron stumbled on his words. "Wouldn't it have been easier just to tell us not to talk about him?"

"The dark Bakura rarely does things the easy way," Malik replied. "He'd rather raise hell over every little thing and cause trouble whenever possible.

"He doesn't like us very much, does he?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, don't pay any attention to him," Malik insisted. "I don't think he likes anybody. He'll get over it."

Hermione wanted to say something but hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it. She opened her mouth to try to convey it anyway, but Ron bluntly beat her to it.

"You know things didn't happen the way he said, right?" Ron eyed Yugi and Malik expectantly, the question heavy in his eyes.

"Oh…Um…" Yugi mumbled. "Well…few things are ever as bad as the other Bakura makes them out to be…"

"But judging from your reactions," Malik added, "there was some truth in there. What exactly was all that about?"

Harry's gaze fell. He should have realized that the subject of the darker events of the last few years would come up eventually. He sighed heavily and began the last conversation he would have wanted to have.

…………………………………………………………….

Bakura had not shown up at supper that evening and had not been in Gryffindor tower either. Yugi and Malik had listened to the dark stories that the ring spirit had brought up, and, despite the spirit's intentions, they didn't hold any of it against Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They knew well that one can't face evil and have no scars to show for it. Surely Yami Bakura knew this too.

Yugi didn't know what to do about Yami Bakura. Did he really hate people knowing about him that much? Why did he push away every time someone tried to understand him? It seemed to Yugi as if the ring spirit were trying to make people hate him. Yugi had been under the impression that Yami Bakura had wanted acceptance. So why was he doing this now? The only explanation that Yugi could come up with was that Yami Bakura was still not used to being with them instead of against them. The spirit was still uncomfortable with being…well, not friendly, but tolerant of them. Perhaps the whole "friend" concept confused him and he just lashed out at everyone as a result?

Malik had his own theory. Yami Bakura was quite simply pissed off. And the spirit had rarely been able to express such an emotion without making an ass of himself. End of analysis. But since such behavior would end up alienating Ryou as well as the ring spirit, Malik felt that another little heart to heart was in order. Maybe if he was lucky, Yami Bakura wouldn't try to rip his out.

The blonde knew full well that Yami Bakura would not be found in the library, Great Hall, or any of the other nice, warm places there was to be. No, Yami Bakura would not be Yami Bakura if he didn't make things as difficult as possible. Therefore, he would of course be found on that blasted observation tower, up all those stairs, and out in the freezing cold night. So that was where Malik headed.

Malik opened the tower door and faced blackness dotted with stars where the overhang didn't block his view. There was no wind this night, so the cold was not as bad as it could have been, but Malik still would have much rather been inside. He pulled his robes closer around him.

"What do you want, Malik?"

Malik jumped, startled at the sudden noise, which had come from somewhere on he left. The faint starlight was not enough to find the source of the noise from where it hid in the shadows. Yami Bakura's eyes, however, were quite adjusted.

"Where are you?" Malik asked the darkness before him.

There was a slight rustle as Yami Bakura reached in his robes. "Lumos," he muttered. A light flashed, bright at first, and then it settled on a steady glow. Malik could see Yami Bakura sitting against the wall quite clearly in the light of the wand that the spirit held.

"You learned a new trick," Malik said, slightly impressed.

"Ryou did," the ring spirit replied simply.

Malik eyed Yami Bakura cautiously. "You still mad at me? I swear I didn't mean anything by what I said earlier. I didn't think."

"So what else is new?" Yami Bakura muttered crossly.

"Okay, so apparently, you're still a little mad," Malik observed. "A little mad" was probably the best he could have hoped for anyway. He chanced approaching the spirit.

"I'll ask you again," Yami Bakura said impatiently. "What do you want?" The spirit had something in his hands, but in the light, Malik couldn't tell what it was. That pocket knife of his again?

The blonde sighed. No point in beating around the bush. He stood next to Yami Bakura, but didn't sit down beside him. "Why does it bother you so much that Yugi and I talk to Ron, Harry, and Hermione? Why does it tick you off that the secret is out? You were the one who blew our cover in the first place, you know."

Yami Bakura shot Malik a dirty look. "Our cover wouldn't have been blown if you and the pharaoh hadn't interfered with my shadow game. And if I'd have had my way from the start, nobody would know about us. I'm not the one who wanted to tell that old man. So don't try to make me sound like a hypocrite."

"You are a hypocrite," Malik replied, starting to lose patience. "You say you want acceptance. Yet you want to remain a secret. You can't have it both ways. And being a jerk doesn't help your case much either. So just what is your deal, anyway?"

Yami Bakura eyed Malik and scoffed. "You and the pharaoh just don't get it."

"Get what?"

Yami Bakura's gaze wandered to the object in his hands. Now that he was closer, Malik could see that it was a deck of cards. Not duel monsters – the cards were too big to be that kind of deck.

"Tell me Malik. Can you name one person who was connected to the items in any way who wasn't tragically affected by them?"

"Uh…" Malik drew a blank.

"I'll tell you right now that you can't," Yami Bakura said. "Something unfortunate has happened to every person who so much as knows about the items."

"Are you trying to tell me now that you're acting like a jerk because you're concerned about the well-being of these people who learned about the items?" Malik said disbelievingly.

"No," Yami Bakura insisted. "It's because more often than not, it comes back to bite the rest of us as well. Nothing good comes from that knowledge. You and Yugi should know that by now. And yet you both stupidly divulge every detail in hopes of making some new friends." Yami Bakura spat the last word out in disgust.

"Yeah, but there's a difference," Malik defended. "These people have the power to defend themselves. They aren't bound by the magic of the millennium items."

"It makes no difference," Yami Bakura said. "The millennium items have a destiny to fulfill. They want to fulfill it. It's like they plan things out. And they make things happen."

"Oh, come off it, Bakura," said Malik. "These wizards don't really have anything to do with the items."

"You'd be surprised," Yami Bakura insisted. "I've been dealing with the millennium items for a long time. I know…just how involved it can be."

"What do you mean?"

Yami Bakura closed his eyes in thought. "You remember that Pegasus guy we've told you about?"

"Uh, yeah…" Malik muttered. He was growing uncomfortable with the conversation now. They were talking about the guy that Yami Bakura had murdered. But Malik was also very curious about what was causing Yami Bakura to bring this up.

"Did we ever tell you about how he got the eye in the first place?"

"Yeah. You guys read it in his journal, right? Shaddi gave it to him when he went to Egypt after his girl died, or something like that."

"Yes," Yami Bakura said. "If that girl had not died, Pegasus would not have gone to Egypt. He wouldn't have gotten the eye, and he wouldn't have created duel monsters, and he wouldn't have thrown the tournament that brought the pharaoh to the world's attention. All of that which played a vital role in bringing the items closer together and closer to their destiny. Quite a domino effect… Now, with so many events tied to that girl's death, doesn't that make you think that maybe the items have something to do with it? Would she have died if it weren't for them? Perhaps it was the items that made that first domino fall. Maybe there were even earlier steps taken. Events tied together so intricately that we can't even begin fathom them."

Malik shook his head in disbelief. "Are you drunk or something? What the hell has got you talking like this? Since when are you all philosophical and wondering how things might have been? And what does this business about Pegasus have to do with anything?"

"Alright, fine, forget all that," Yami Bakura said, throwing a hand up in exasperation. "That was just an example. But someone brought up a subject that caused me to question myself and I don't do anything half-assed."

"Question yourself?"

Yami Bakura glared at Malik for a moment, then scoffed. "Forget it, just forget I said anything."

'What the hell is he going on about?' Malik thought. 'One mention of his past and he goes completely nuts?' He put a hand to his head. Just what was Yami Bakura's point? He wasn't making sense.

Yami Bakura could never even begin to explain how he had gotten on this tangent, and Malik probably wouldn't understand even if he could explain it. Several hours of thought and concentration had gotten him this far and he had neither the consideration nor the patience to handle Malik's confusion. Yami Bakura had his own confusion to deal with.

The earlier events of the day had once more forced Yami Bakura to face the fact that he knew almost nothing about himself – who he was, why was he sealed in the ring… He didn't want the others to believe that he was some monster and that it was his fault he and the pharaoh were sealed. Mostly because he didn't want to believe it himself. The histories said that the pharaoh would be revived with the shadow games to stop the resurrection of a great evil. If he was that evil…then what? Would he be fated to face off against the pharaoh until one of them fell? Was he cursed to never be out of the fight?

As one question led to another Yami Bakura had reflected on what he did know about himself and the millennium items he was so closely connected to. It was then that he saw the path of destruction behind each of the items and began to wonder just how much the items were responsible for. Even before they made their appearance. There was just too much to chock it all up to coincidence. Pegasus's miserable past was only one such example. Yami Bakura didn't know much about Malik from before Battle City, but he knew enough to know that it had been bad for him. A happy childhood doesn't normally lead to a homicidal alter-ego after all. Malik's misfortunes would have also, of course, affected his sister, Isis – another former item holder.

And then there was Ryou…and the events which led to him becoming the owner of the millennium ring. He was the only one who could serve as Yami Bakura's vessel…the only one who could bear the ring. Many others had died trying. That the millennium ring would fall into the hands of the only person that could survive it… It could be no mere coincidence. As part of the millennium ring, Yami Bakura knew that it was capable of finding its way to Ryou. And its first journey to him had been on a road of tragedy and death. Ryou couldn't understand or handle it then. And he couldn't now.

There was also a long list of people who had suffered who had only known about the items. Like Malik's step brother, and Yugi's idiot friends back in Domino. And perhaps countless others who had been stepping stones to further the items toward their final goal. This suffering was like a curse…a disease spread by involvement with the items.

But, save for Ryou and maybe even Malik, Yami Bakura didn't really care about all these other people. They were neither his problem, nor his concern. What did get to him was the fact that if all these others were being used by the items, then so was he. And he didn't like being anybody's (or anything's) pawn. That was why he didn't want anyone to know about him or the items. That was why he wanted to scare people away. It wasn't out of concern for them, but rather out of his own stubborn refusal to be a piece in someone else's game. He'd always hated revealing the secrets of himself and the items, but it wasn't until Malik motivated him that he was able to sort out the reason why. He'd understood subconsciously, but never in rational thought. Well, as rational as these thoughts could be considered.

Because his theories would only upset Ryou or Malik, it would thus do him no good to tell them about his thoughts. And he wasn't about to go talk to the pharaoh…Ha, the pharaoh… Yugi was the only one whom Yami Bakura wasn't sure had totally been screwed by his involvement with the items. But then, he'd never bothered to find out any personal details about Yugi. There was probably something about him, too.

Regardless, Yami Bakura couldn't rant or vent to anybody about what was truly on his mind and his worries and concerns put him in a very bad mood which, he felt, left him little choice but to take it out on Malik, who was most certainly at fault for making him think too much in the first place.

"If you'd have asked me a month ago, I would have said that I thought you and the pharaoh knew better," Yami Bakura said. "Those three mortals will end up getting involved and we'll end up having to clean up the mess."

"Look," Malik said, "if there really are dark wizards after us, then it's probably better that Harry, Hermione, and Ron know about it. They know more about these Death Eater guys than we do, and since they're always in trouble with them anyway, who's to say that these dark wizards won't go after them at the same time that they go after us? This way they at least have some warning."

"They're in more danger by knowing and their knowing is a risk to the rest of us as…well." This conversation was starting to sound awfully familiar and the smirk on Malik's face that looked all the more self-satisfied in the limited light told Yami Bakura that the familiarity would not be in his favor. He thought for a moment with lips tightly pursed before it dawned on him. He had very recently been on the opposite side of this conversation with Professor Dumbledore. His eyes widened a bit and his mouth fell slightly in this realization. He quickly regained his composure, but not quick enough to avoid Malik seeing his reaction.

Malik was very pleased with the way the conversation was going now. Not that it had been an accident by any means. Malik had become quite good at talking people into corners.

"Hy-po-crite," he said, stretching the word out and delighting in every syllable. Yami Bakura huffed and glowered up at the blonde.

"Okay, so what if I am?" he replied indignantly, crossing his arms. "My mind remains firmly unchanged."

"Stubborn hypocrite," said Malik through his grin. Yami Bakura no longer had a leg to stand on in his argument and both of them knew it. "Why don't you just accept that what's done is done and you might as well stop moping about it because it's too late to change-"

"I could always…"

"Because," Malik repeated a little more forcefully, "it is too late to change it. They know about us, and now we know about them. The risk is shared. Now we can go on with our lives, right."

"Pffft…" was Yami Bakura's only reply.

"Good enough," Malik said. "So Hermione need not fear your wrath for having slapped you?"

"It was part of making my point," Yami Bakura said.

"Wait," said Malik, "you went into that whole thing knowing it was gonna get you slapped?"

"Figured that if at least one of them didn't get ticked off enough to hit me, then my point would be lost. Besides, that little tap didn't hurt me."

Malik paused thoughtfully for a moment. "What if she'd have cursed you instead? You know…a spell?"

Yami Bakura blinked several times. "I hadn't thought of that. That would have sucked."

"Moron," Malik muttered.

Several minutes went by without either of them saying anything. Malik leaned casually against the wall behind him, his back against the stone. Yami Bakura remained in his sitting position, shuffling his deck of cards. His lit wand was discarded to the floor between them, where it still provided them with some limited light. It was Malik who finally broke the silence.

"So, you're going to lay off the rest of us, right? No one else will get involved."

Yami Bakura stopped shuffling and eyed his deck. "Why do you always seem to feel the need to come talk things out? Why do you always seek me out when I obviously want to be alone."

Malik shrugged, smiling. "Part of that whole watching each other's back thing, right? Besides, who else is gonna straighten out your disagreeable behind. It can't all fall on your better half. He'd go insane."

Yami Bakura laughed softly. "Ryou's taken to sleeping or simply ignoring me when I'm in charge. He decided he rather not know what trouble I cause when I'm in control. But I still block him out when I don't want him involved. I'd rather he not know my business as well."

"Can't block me out," said Malik, grinning.

"If only," muttered Yami Bakura dejectedly, resting a cheek on his fist.

Malik only grinned wider as he stood up straight. "I know you'd help me if I needed it. Despite that solitary tough guy aura you project. So I don't mind being a sounding board every once in a while so you can hear just how stupid you sound."

Yami Bakura arched an eyebrow. "Watch it. My opinions haven't changed, remember?"

Malik laughed. "They rarely do," he said.

The ring spirit stared off into the darkness. "I suppose I can be tolerant. Just leave me out of your conversations."

"Great," Malik said. He stretched his arms and back as he stood there, then readjusted his robes. He hadn't noticed the cold much during their talk, but now his hands and nose felt frozen. He cupped his hands together and warmed them with his breath and then promptly rubbed his nose. "Well," he said, "I still have a paper due tomorrow that I need to throw together, so I'm off. I suggest you do the same. Bakura'll raise hell if you get him sick." Malik started to walk back to the door.

"Wait a minute," Yami Bakura said.

"What?"

Yami Bakura spread the deck of cards in his hand and held them up with their back to Malik. "Pick a card."

"You gotta be joking," Malik said. "Card tricks? You're not supposed to be that kind of magician."

"Humor me," said Yami Bakura.

"Fine," Malik said, as he walked back to the sitting figure of Yami Bakura. "What do you want me to do?"

"Pick three," Yami Bakura answered. "One at a time. Tell me what they are."

"Not much of a trick if I tell you what they are," Malik muttered.

"It's not a trick, numbskull," said Yami Bakura impatiently. "I just want to see something."

"All right," Malik said with a sigh. He picked a card near the left and blinked at it in the dim light. He hadn't seen this kind of card before. Was this Bakura's Tarot deck? "The Devil," he said.

'Evil,' thought Yami Bakura. "Again," he said.

"Two of…" Malik eyed the card he had just pulled from the middle, "Cups, is it?"

'Alliance.'

Malik pulled the last card on the left. "King of Wands."

'You,' thought Yami Bakura. There was no doubt now. "One more."

"But you said three," Malik protested.

"Just do it."

"Fine, fine…" Malik pulled a card from near the end on the right. "The Tower," he read.

'Devastation...'

"That's all, Malik," said the ring spirit.

"That's it?" Malik asked, confused. "What was all that about?"

"Nevermind," Yami Bakura said. "Just go do what you have to do."

"Whatever," said Malik, dismissing his curiosities. What Yami Bakura had been trying to do must not have worked.

As Malik closed the door behind him, Yami Bakura eyed the cards Malik had drawn. While alone on that rooftop he must have done twenty readings, just trying to get his mind off things and settle his own curiosity. Those same cards had shone up in almost every reading. What ever he had predicted in that first reading in Divination class was clearly still going to happen. He had hoped that having Malik draw for his own fortune would have shown that the blonde wasn't the center of it all. But it still seemed that he was.

Yami Bakura sighed heavily, resting his head against the stone wall. So many problems… He rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache threatening. Having been faced with the current problem of revealed secrets and the future problem looming over them all, he had chosen the former and focused all of his frustrations upon it. Now that Malik seemed to have confirmed his fears, a few secrets told seemed such a meaningless thing to worry about. Though Yami Bakura was sure that Harry, Ron, Hermione and all those teachers knowing weren't going to help matters. However, they couldn't be blamed for Malik…and whatever he ended up doing.

It was going to be soon. Whatever it was…it would be soon.

…………………………………..


	40. The Headmaster and Seto Kaiba

Chapter 40: The Headmaster and Seto Kaiba

……………………………….

After the incident at the main estate, the Kaiba brothers took up residence in a recently purchased vacation home in the hills. Since the perpetrators had not yet been captured, their location during off hours was not known to many. Far from worried about his own safety, Seto Kaiba did not want another personal attack against him to affect his company.

As it was, his company had been going steadily downhill since the attack. His current home was a two-hour helicopter trip from the main office, which made it nearly impossible to get in a decent day's work. He often ended up spending the night on the couch in his office, if he slept at all. Some days he was forced to conduct business via his laptop, but his business associates felt this lacked a personal touch. And now that he was so difficult to get ahold of, he'd lost several accounts. Kaiba Corporation's stock had dropped nearly fifteen percent.

Competitors had accused him of running away – an accusation which Seto quickly dismissed as ignorance. Were it only him, Seto would have stayed at the office everyday and night and gone to every meeting in person. He was not afraid. But there was Mokuba to think of. Seto refused to involve him in anything that might be risky. Mokuba had been relieved of most of his duties as vice president of Kaiba Corp. and forced to remain at his brother's side - an arrangement the boy was not particularly fond of. Seto's enemies had tried to use his brother against him in the past, and Seto was convinced they may try to again. He felt the main office was fairly safe – the security was state of the art and over two-dozen security guards were under contract there. But Mokuba was still young and such long hours at the office were hard on him.

They had settled into a schedule where two days spent at the main office were followed by two days of conducting business from home. Seto saw this as the only reasonable way to run things without either his company or Mokuba suffering too much.

They were in the middle of one of their homebound periods when a frustratingly bored Mokuba happened upon a sealed enveloped that had apparently been slipped under their front door. Mokuba thought that someone had simply left it for his big brother; subordinates often slipped memos under the door when they were afraid to disturb the elder Kaiba. But upon further thought, Mokuba realized that since nobody was supposed to know they were there, nobody should have been able to slip letters under the door. That was not the only thing odd about it, either. Mokuba eyed the writing on the envelope. It was written very neatly in green ink. The address on it read:

The Kaiba Family

Front Entranceway

The House in the Hills, Japan

Mokuba couldn't remember them ever getting a letter like this before. As far as he knew, no one ever referred to them as "The Kaiba Family." He turned the envelope over to see that it was sealed with wax and stamped with a symbol he didn't recognize. He stared at it with furrowed eyebrows, trying to discern its origins. The only people in the house were his brother, two maids who had come with them from their wrecked home because they had no where else to go, and himself. Mokuba didn't think any of them could be responsible for this letter.

This left him with a problem. It was probably dangerous for him to open a mystery letter and Seto would almost certainly scold him if he did. However, if he simply brought the letter to his brother, he would probably never know what it was about. Seto wasn't exactly well known for volunteering information that he didn't think other people needed to know, and Mokuba wasn't particularly excluded from that either.

The boy sighed in response to his quandary. He could always open it and play the innocent card. But he knew Seto was wise to that move. He could also open it and reseal it afterwards…But that wouldn't work either. Seto would know. Seto almost always knew when he did things like that. Besides, there was still a chance that it could be dangerous somehow. After all, there did seem to be people out to hurt them.

Mokuba blew a lock of hair out of his face in exasperation. He would just have to bring it to his big brother, and that was all there was to it. He was disappointed to come to this conclusion. The letter might have relieved him of his boredom for a little while. Maybe Seto would tell him what it was at least.

He could always just nick it from Seto later, if nothing else.

The elder Kaiba was in his home office typing away at his laptop. With the recent troubles of his company, Seto had become more of a workaholic than ever and was rarely seen outside of that room while at home. His lunch, which had been brought to him an hour earlier, sat ignored on the edge of his desk among several stacks of papers. The long hours of staring at the computer screen had been straining his eyes, but rather than take a break, Seto had donned a pair of reading glasses to combat his blurring vision.

The door to the room opened slowly and silently and Mokuba poked his head in. The only noise in the room was the clicking of the computer keys. Mokuba never could understand how his brother was able to work in such silence without going nuts. No music…not even the tick of a clock. The walls were bare as well. No posters or paintings adorned the elegant wood paneling. The room was completely without distractions.

"What is it, Mokuba?"

Mokuba jumped slightly. Seto had addressed him without so much as looking up. The boy stepped into the room and approached his brother, holding the envelope in both hands at his waist. He didn't speak up until he was right at Seto's side. "I found this letter on the floor by the front door," he said. "I thought it was kinda weird and that you might want to see it."

"Hmm?" Seto finally stopped typing and looked over his reading glasses at Mokuba. He held his hand out and Mokuba handed him the envelope. Seto read the address, then turned it over and eyed the wax seal. Mokuba watched for Seto's reaction, but he didn't get one. Seto's face showed no signs of recognition, surprise, or confusion.

The elder Kaiba reached across his desk for a letter opener and put it to use. He removed a length of heavy paper from the envelope. Mokuba could see that the writing on it was the same as on the envelope – almost too neat to be anyone's real handwriting.

Seto read the letter. After a few moments, he scoffed and crumbled the paper. Mokuba blinked up at him. "What was it, Big Brother?"

"Rubbish," was Seto's answer as he tossed the letter into the trash bin beside his desk.

Mokuba was crestfallen. "But Big Brother…What was it about?"

"Go ahead and read it if you are indeed so curious," Seto said, once again without looking up from his computer. "You'll just steal it when you think I'm not looking anyway."

Mokuba grinned slightly. Nothing got past his big brother. He pulled the letter out of the bin, uncrumpled it, and read.

Dear Kaiba Family,

It has come to my attention that you have recently become the target of a group known as the Death Eaters. They are powerful opponents, and I am afraid that you cannot rely on your policemen or technology to catch them or protect you. I would like you to know that we have a common enemy in these Death Eaters and I would like to offer you my assistance. I can provide you with information as well as protection.

There is much to discuss. I would like to meet with you in person on Thursday evening. Please expect me at sundown.

Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Mokuba had to read the closing of the letter several times before he was sure he'd read it correctly. Hogwarts Schools of Witchcraft and Wizardry? That must have been the part that made Seto dismiss the letter. Mokuba's older brother had never been one to take anyone or anything that claimed to be connected to magic seriously. Mokuba couldn't really blame him. But he wasn't as ready give up on the letter as Seto was. There was too much mystery involved.

"Big Brother," Mokuba began, "how did this letter get here? No one's been here but us."

"Someone most likely slipped it in with the rest of our mail when we were in the city. One of the maids must have dropped it while handling the post."

"This person seems to be trying to help us," Mokuba said, even though he knew his brother didn't agree. "It's like they know who we're dealing with."

"Or they are part of that group," Seto replied. "It seems to me that anybody ignorant enough to launch an attack against me would be just the sort to believe in witches and the sort. They're trying to lure me out and I will have none of it."

Mokuba had seen enough in the last few years to not be quite as doubtful about magic as Seto was. "Yugi and his friends believed in this sort of thing, too," Mokuba said.

Seto's fingers hesitated on the keyboard for a moment. His eyes rose from the monitor and he stared and a blank spot of wall directly in front of him. He'd been caught off guard with this reference, but only for a moment. He quickly returned to his laptop. "And it's just that kind of foolishness which will eventually lead to his downfall. There's too much in the real world to deal with for me to waste my time on fantasy and fairytales. The letter is either a prank or a lame attempt to get to us by the group that wrecked our house. Don't concern yourself with it Mokuba."

The younger Kaiba was still not satisfied. Something was still not right. "But what about the address, Big Brother?" asked Mokuba as he searched his brother's face for answers. "Does that mean they know where we are? And if they do, why did they bother with a letter?"

"One would only have to observe the direction our helicopter travels from the office to guess that we're in the hills," Seto replied passively. "I'm fairly certain that they do not know our exact location. We won't be staying here much longer anyway. Once things are settled at the office, we'll probably transfer to the office in the United States. If all goes according to plan, we'll be out of the country by the weekend."

"But it says 'Front Entranceway' and that's where I found it," Mokuba said.

"More mind tricks Mokuba. We'll be leaving for the office tomorrow. There's nothing for you to worry about. Even if the letter is from our enemies and even if they know where we are, they're obviously not ready to move in, or they wouldn't have bothered with the letter. And tonight will likely be our last night in this place."

Mokuba could hardly believe that Seto was so quick to dismiss something this unusual. But Seto usually knew what he was talking about. And he was so busy with work that Mokuba could understand why he didn't mull over the letter more, even if just to humor him. He tried not to pout over the fact that more hadn't come of the letter and he would just have to go back to being bored. He was a little glad that he had discussed the letter with Seto, though. If he had just run off with it, it would have probably worried him a great deal. But since Seto said not to worry, Mokuba didn't.

There was one last thing that Mokuba noted as he let the letter fall from his hand and back into the trash bin. "What about that part where it said to expect this guy at sundown on Thursday?"

"We'll be at the office at that time. If he can get past all the security to get to us, I'll be more than willing to speak with him…"

Mokuba always had the upmost confidence in whatever his brother said. Nevertheless, when Thursday rolled around, Mokuba found himself feeling slightly anxious, as though something really would happen. Something big and exciting. Throughout the day, Mokuba could be seen glancing out of the office windows for signs of sunset, even though he was well aware that it was hours away. If Seto noticed this, he made no sign of it.

It seemed to Mokuba that this was a particularly long day. They'd been busy; Seto had had several meetings to discuss the costs of parts and labor in the local production factory, the possible cutbacks, and his transfer to the American branch of the company for the next few months. Several more meetings were scheduled with investors from China, Germany, and England as well. Meetings which Seto was hoping to get out of the way before his move.

Mokuba hadn't had much to do but sit through the meetings and occasionally fetching something for Seto's presentations. He felt unbearably bored and it seemed as if sunset would never come…

But sunset was indeed eventually upon them. Mokuba didn't know what to expect besides disappointment. It seemed very unlikely indeed that anyone would show up. But still…

"Hand me the black briefcase, Mokuba."

The boy jumped down from the window-side stool on which he had been sitting, staring out at the sunset against the cityscape. He did as he was asked, lugging the heavy suitcase to where his brother was preparing the papers for his next meeting, which was with his main supplier of raw materials. As Seto reached to claim the briefcase, he caught Mokuba once again anxiously gazing out the window at the setting sun.

"Nobody is coming, Mokuba," Seto said. "That letter was just a farce. Don't waste your thoughts on that foolishness."

Mokuba sighed heavily with a shrug of the shoulders. "I know, Big Brother," he said, turning his back slowly to the window as the final rays of the sun faded. "I just thought we might get a call from security at the very least."

Seto did wish that Mokuba could have more healthy fun so that he wouldn't be reduced to hoping for an odd visitor just for the change of pace. But that could not be helped. There was work to be done, and Mokuba had to grow up a little faster than most kids his age. He was a Kaiba, and that was the price that came with being such.

Seto removed a few papers from the black briefcase Mokuba had fetched for him and placed them neatly in a large business binder, which he then shut and snapped closed. He placed it under his arm, grabbed his carrying case, and began towards the door. "Come along, Mokuba. We're in conference room three." Seto shuffled the items in his hands and opened the door out of his office. He began to take a step out, but had to stop suddenly. There was an old, oddly-dressed man blocking his doorway and smiling what Seto thought was a suspicious grin.

"My, what excellent timing," the old man said. "I was just about to knock. I trust you received my letter?"

Mokuba darted across the room to his brother's side. This was the sender of the mysterious letter. He had come! Mokuba didn't know why, but he was really happy to see this strange man. One look at him, and Mokuba was sure he could be trusted. The old man glanced down at Mokuba for a second. The younger Kaiba was sure he saw him wink. Mokuba smiled.

Seto felt no such trust. "How did you get here?" he asked coldly.

"Why, I just appeared out of thin air," said the old man, still smiling gently.

Seto was not amused. "Why didn't the receptionist report your arrival?"

"She is taking a nap, I'm afraid," the old man said. "But please do not chastise her for it later. It is no fault of her own." He took a step past Seto into the room. Seto ushered Mokuba behind himself protectively. This man had beaten his security and Seto saw that as an immediate threat.

"I hope you do not mind my intrusion into your office," the old man said. "But I was brought up not to linger in hallways. It would be much more comfortable to attend to business in here, wouldn't you agree."

"Who are you," Seto said, glaring at the stranger. "What do you want?"

"Ah, well a formal introduction is indeed in order," said the old man, adjusting his half-moon spectacles. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts School. And I believe I am correct in assuming that you are Mr. Seto Kaiba. Which would make you," he smiled at the younger Kaiba, "Mokuba? Am I right?"

"Heh, yeah," Mokuba said, smiling widely back.

"Hush," Seto instructed. Mokuba reverted back to silence, but his brother had not changed Mokuba's impression of the old man.

"I understand your caution, Mr. Kaiba," said Dumbledore. "But I feel we can both agree that if I was here to harm you, I could easily have done so already. It is not my intention to be a threat to you. I'm here to help, you will remember."

"You have an odd way of showing your intentions," Seto said coldly. "Sneaking past my security and nosing into my affairs…"

"Forgive me," said Dumbledore with a polite bow. "I was unaware that I was being rude. I did give you advance warning, but perhaps it wasn't far enough in advance to clear a spot for me in your busy schedule? In any case, since we're both here now, we might as well get down to business. Do you mine if I sit?"

Seto reverted back to a tight-lipped glare, but Mokuba silently gestured to the couch, his actions unseen by his brother.

"Thank you, I can provide my own," said Dumbledore. He reached up his sleeve and pulled out a long, stick-like object.

Seto once again tugged Mokuba (who had been trying to inch away) protectively behind him. Seto recognized that object as one just like the weapons that had been used in the attack in Domino. The mysterious weapon that brought blemish-less death. Now he was thoroughly convinced that he was facing one of the enemy. But he wasn't sure how to handle it. He was unarmed, far from cover, and needed to protect Mokuba.

The sudden increase in the room's intensity did not go unnoticed by the old headmaster. "No need to tense-up, Mr. Kaiba. Wands and Magic alike are neither good nor bad. It's all a matter of the wizard who uses them. And I'd like to think that I am a good wizard."

"Don't start that magic and wizards nonsense with-" But Seto suddenly found himself speechless. The old man had flicked his "wand" and a large, puffy armchair appeared out of nowhere. Seto was ready to dismiss it as a hologram, but that theory was thrown out the window as Dumbledore sat upon his creation. Seto was flabbergasted. Even his holograms (which were the best on the market) couldn't do that. Every theory of physics, mathematics and common sense ran through his brain, and all of them said that he had just witnessed what should have been impossible.

But then, that's what good science was supposed to do.

"I trust you're still not a believer, Mr. Kaiba?" Dumbledore asked after several long seconds of silence.

"I believe only in what I have undeniable proof confirming."

"And this is not proof enough?" Dumbledore taped his chair. "Was my arrival here despite your efforts not enough?"

"It just convinces me that you have good technology backing whatever purpose it is you have here."

"Very well, Mr. Kaiba," said Dumbledore as he adjusted his spectacles. "I was informed that you were set in your beliefs. I'm not here to make you acknowledge the existence of magic. I'm here to offer my assistance. It is not necessary for you to believe that I am a wizard or that your pursuers are for that matter."

"I don't need help," Seto insisted. "I've got things well under control. And I certainly would not seek help from anyone who seriously believed in such foolishness."

"Mr. Kaiba, I'm afraid that what you are capable of may not be enough in this instance," Dumbledore said, shaking his head slightly. "These foes see you as the best clue they have. They will not be easily deterred. So please. What will it take for you to trust me?"

"If that's the game you want to play," Seto replied making his way to his desk with Mokuba in tow and his eyes never wavering from the old man. He was surprised that Dumbledore was allowing him to move, but it worked in his favor. There was a silent alarm button under his desk. If he could just stall the old man for a little while…

"I have some questions I'd like answered," Seto said as he sat at his desk. Mokuba stood beside him, still casting the occasional friendly smile in Dumbledore's direction.

"I hope that I'm able to," Dumbledore responded.

"First off," said Seto as he rested his elbows on his desk, his fingers steepled. "How do you know these criminals?"

"My associates and I have been battling their organization for years. They're known as the Death Eaters, and they're led by a very powerful, very evil man."

"What do they want with me?"

"They want something that they believe you have," said Dumbledore, intentionally leaving out and mention of magic. "Incorrectly so, I might add."

"What are they looking for?" Kaiba asked. He was starting to become intrigued, despite himself. Perhaps he was actually getting some valuable information. After all, why would a member of the enemy bother with him if he knew that what they were looking for wasn't there?

"I'm afraid that to protect the true owner, I can't tell you that."

Seto paused, pondering how to counter this. "Fair enough," he said finally. "How did you learn of the situation?"

"Putting two and two together, Mr. Kaiba," Dumbledore said. "I've known what the Death Eater's were after for a while. I happened across an article on the attack, recognized it as the work of Death Eaters, and with the help of some inside sources, was able to understand the motivation."

"And who precisely is your inside source on me? Since you apparently know why they think I have this mystery item."

Dumbledore shook his head. "I cannot reveal that either, Mr. Kaiba. For safety's sake, you understand. If you would meet the enemy again, I don't want you to have even more dangerous information than you already have."

Seto raised and eyebrow. "So that's why you're offering your protection. You don't want me telling your enemies anything that might be risky to your cause."

"I'm offering my help because it's my duty to do so," said Dumbledore. "This is a very big matter. So far, the others involved in this are protected. But should the Death Eaters learn any more than they already do, it would jeopardize everyone. If they accomplish their goals…well, not much would be able to stand in their way."

"So I'm a loose end?" Seto said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"In a matter of speaking," Dumbledore replied.

Seto closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. "And what would you have me do?"

"Ideally, I'd have you and your brother come with me. You would be safest under my direct guard. However, I doubt there is any chance of my convincing you to agree to that," Dumbledore said with a slight smile.

"That is most certainly true," Seto replied humorlessly.

"In that case, I would like have several of my people watching over you at all times. Since you are a frequent traveler, my suggestion would be some new personal security personnel. They would travel with you, stay with you, and would be able to protect you in the likely event of another attack. And of course, payment for their services would not be necessary. They would be volunteers."

"I don't like the idea of putting up with the same people in such close proximity for that long," Seto said. "That's why I don't have bodyguards now. And I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable with your people in such employment. So I'm afraid I must decline your offer."

"Well, then perhaps we could-"

"You don't understand, old man," Seto interrupted. "I fully decline your offer. I don't want your help. I am more than capable of handling things myself. And I will not play a part in your game."

"But Seto!" Mokuba finally piped in.

"Don't let yourself be taken in, Mokuba. The fact that we were attacked by an organization that may or may not be his enemy does not obligate us to join with him. We will not get involved in these matters any further. I've already taken the appropriate measures to ensure our safety. We do not need this old coot's aid…"

Mokuba started to say something else, but stopped himself. He knew there was no arguing with his big brother once a decision was made. He sighed and shot an apologetic glance in Dumbledore's direction. The old man nodded slightly.

"I do wish you would reconsider, Mr. Kaiba. But if you are certain, then I shan't waste anymore of your time. If you should decide that you would like my assistance, you can contact me with this." Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a small roll of parchment, then stood and placed it on Seto's desk. "If you write to me on this, I'll be sure to get the message."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary," said Seto. "I trust I needn't show you out."

"No, you needn't," replied Dumbledore. "I wish you both the best of luck. I will be around if you change your mind." With a final smile and wink at Mokuba, Dumbledore pointed at his puffy armchair with his wand and it disappeared. Seto was still convinced that this was all a trick and was not impressed this time. Professor Dumbledore made his was across the room towards the door. "And do watch your step as you the exit the room," he said, though neither Seto nor Mokuba knew at the moment why. The old man opened the door and shut it again behind him.

"Humph…" Seto scoffed and stood. "Remind me to fire the security team," he said.

Mokuba blinked as if coming out of a daydream. It took him a second to respond to what he brother had just said. "Wha…? Why?"

"Not only did they allow that old fool through, but I hit the silent alarm almost ten minutes ago and they've yet to even call to check in," Seto replied, gathering up his binder and carrying case once again for the meeting for which he was now late. "Either they are not responding, or someone failed to do a system check."

Mokuba frowned. "Do you just not like him because he believes in magic?"

Seto only scoffed again. He walked the door, Mokuba following behind. But he had to pause again upon opening the door.

There were four unconscious security guards just outside the door – all unharmed and all apparently happily dreaming.

"What did he do, set off a gas bomb?" Seto muttered, frowning "Still believe he's to be trusted, Mokuba?"

The younger Kaiba chose not to answer, but a small smile crept across his face. 'That Dumbledore guy was pretty cool,' he thought.

……………………………………

Winter had settled in for the long haul at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Christmas holiday was creeping up and the Gryffindors had a free afternoon while Professor Sprout tended to the greenhouses' cold-sensitive plants. Malik, who always had a free class period at that time, had joined them. Snow had begun falling a few days earlier and by this time there was a thick layer over everything. Some, however, were still getting accustomed to the cold.

"This s-s-sucks," Malik muttered through chattering teeth.

"I c-concur," Yami agreed. Yugi was forcing him to face the cold, which the boy believed would be good for him, as he hadn't been in control for a while. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had slowly gotten used the switching of personalities and now could almost detect from the change in speech alone.

"Oh, quit complaining," Harry said. "It's not that cold. There's hardly even any wind."

"I'll never understand how people can enjoy this weather," Malik said, ignoring Harry. "I rather just stay inside and not come out until May."

"He's from the desert; he's got an excuse. But you're from Japan," Ron said, addressing Yami, "Isn't it cold there, too?"

"Not where I'm from. It never gets this cold there," Yami replied. "Makes me appreciate that place more…"

"Oh, enough," Hermione said, exasperated. "You might as well get used to the weather. I daresay it'll be like this for a while."

"Wonderful," Malik replied sarcastically.

"Hey, where is Bakura?" Harry asked. "Wasn't he coming out here with us?"

"He might have gone to the library," Yami said. "The nice, warm, dry library…" he added bitterly

"Either that or Whitey's blending into the scenery," Malik said. "We could lose him for days in all this."

Malik's guess was closest. Bakura was in fact ducked behind a snow bank just ahead of them. With him were the Weasly twins and about three dozen firmly packed snowballs.

"They coming?" Fred said in a hushed whisper.

"Yep," Yami Bakura answered. His head was stuck out from behind the snow bank, but just enough to allow him to see where Malik and the Gryffindors were.

"What brought this idea on," George asked.

"The fact that Yugi hates snow. Malik, too... But mostly because of Yugi. He's in his pompous superiority mood. I try not to miss an opportunity to annoy him when he's like that."

"Heh. But what about the rest of 'em?" George said.

"Casualties of war," Yami Bakura said with a shrug. "You object to pelting your younger brother with balls of ice?"

"You know damn well that we don't," Fred replied. "That's how you got us here, remember?"

Yami Bakura snickered.

"Can't we go inside now?" Malik whined.

"Well, I suppose that we could go start on our homework," Hermione said smartly.

"Never mind. Cold's good," Malik muttered in response. He cupped his hands over his mouth, warmed them with his breath, and then rubbed them vigorously together. "I just wish I had more winter clothes."

"It's not much better with them," Yami said. "I've had enough of this. Ron, care for a game of chess? I don't see any reason to stay out-" He was cut off when a snowball caught him in the shoulder. He looked up for the source with narrowed, impatient eyes, knowing full well who was likely responsible.

"Where did that come from?" He said, scanning the whiteness ahead of him and brushing the snow off his shoulder.

"Er, I didn't see," Harry said.

"What happened?" Ron asked.

"Snowball," Hermione answered.

Yami continued to peer across the snow, not seeing the source of the offending snowball. "Damn it, he does blend in…"

"Who?" Malik asked, smirking slightly.

"Who else who derive amusement from such a childish display?" Yami said, turning to Malik.

"My brothers?" Ron said.

"No," Yami replied, "I'm sure it's Bak-" This time the snowball caught him in the side of the head. Malik burst out laughing, first at the stunned expression on Yami's face, then at the look of rage that followed. Yami faced the threat ahead of him, fuming.

"Throw something when I can see you, you coward!" he yelled.

"Alright," Yami Bakura said, promptly standing and hurling a snowball in the pharaoh's direction. Yami dodged it this time, but barely. But now he saw where the tomb robber was stationed.

"If you think I'm going to play your game, you're mistaken!" he said, stomping towards Yami Bakura. "No, I'm going to bury you in the damn snow!"

This time, three snowballs came his way.

"Told you it was my brothers," Ron said to Yami, who was once again brushing the snow off of himself. But the next set of snowball were aimed in his direction.

"Whoa! Hey!" Ron objected. "You wanna play!" He stooped over, grabbed a large handful of snow, and threw it in the direction of his brothers, who simply ducked. "Come on, guys! We outnumber them!"

"But they didn't – oh, hey!" shouted Hermione, for one had just caught her leg. She frowned heavily. "Alright, if that's how you want it!"

"Enemy fire!" shouted George from where he, Fred and Bakura were crouched. All of the others were now hurling snowballs at their hiding place. "What now?"

"Full offensive," instructed Yami Bakura, who was enjoying all this immensely. A sly look passed over his face. He turned to the twins. "Tell me," he said, "have you perfected those color bombs yet?"

Fred and George smiled twin mischievous grins. "Oh, yeah…"

Yami was quickly growing tired of this. He wanted to end it. With his fellow Gryffindors at his side, he approached Bakura and the twins with a mind for settling the score. Another well-timed and well-aimed snowball came his way and hit him in the chest. But he noticed something different as he wiped the snow away. The…yellow snow.

"Bakura, you sick bastard!" Yami yelled, making an effort to remove every trace of that snow from his person as quickly as possible. The yellow wasn't coming out.

"It's from a color bomb, you moron!" Bakura shouted back. "See, he always thinks the worst," he muttered to the laughing twins.

"I can't believe him," Yami muttered. "When I get a hold of him, I'll…Malik, where do you think you're going! Hey!"

"He's defecting!" Harry exclaimed. For Malik was rushing ahead, waving his scarf as a mock peace flag.

"Sorry guys!" he called back. "I gotta be on the side with superior weaponry! You understand!"

"Traitor!" Yami yelled. Malik only snickered as he ducked behind the snow bank with Bakura and the twins.

The battle continued on for the next twenty minutes. Soon the Gryffindors' side (and the Gryffindors) was dotted with various colors from the snowballs thrown by their opponents. It finally ended when a fed-up Yami used his newly learned magic to knock the snow bank over and onto his foes. He declared victory and said something to the effect of "I told you I'd bury you…" Though he was glad that no authority figure saw what he did, as he was fairly certain that he wasn't supposed to do that.

………………………………….

Thousands of miles away, Darcy prepared for a very important meeting. This time his lord would be pleased. This time...he would prove his worth…


	41. Attention Readers

Attention Readers:

I'm afraid that I must announce that I have officially made the decision to no longer continue this story. I no longer have the time and with both YGO over and HP almost there, my interest has migrated to other new fandoms. While I am disappointed that I can't finish what I started, I'm afraid there is nothing I can do.

However that is not necessarily the end of it.

Several authors have e-mailed me asking for permission to continue the story themselves. And I'm gonna go with this. But rather than just picking a random person to take up the reigns, I'm holding tryouts. And anyone is free to go for it, even if you've never posted a fanfiction before. I feel that this is the best way for me to move on while not completely cheating you readers.

Anyway here's how it will work for those interested:

If you would like to take over where I left off, first make sure that you are up to the task. I'm not looking for someone who'll write one chapter then disappear never to be heard from again. So if you know you won't have time, please don't bother. Also, you really need to be familiar with both series – Harry Potter 1-4 and the entire YGO series.

E-mail me (it's in my profile) to let me know you're interested. DO NOT use a review or private message to try and contact me. E-mails are the only one's I'm likely to see.

In the e-mail, select a character. Your choices are Yugi (both of 'em included), Bakura (again, both), Seto, or Malik. I will then send you a scenario where that character is centered. Write a test chapter using this scenario. You are free to use other characters as well, but your chosen character should be the main focus. This is so I can get an idea of your ability to keep them in character and see if you can get into their head, so to speak.

There is no word minimum or limit. Just bare in mind that 500 words does not a chapter make. At the same time, 20 pages is on the extreme side. The chapter should be written in the 3rd person.

SPELL-CHECK, please!

This tryout is NOT about mimicking my style or following a set outline. I want to see what you can come up with on your own.

Make sure the chapter you send is the finished version. Don't send one and then a "revised" one a week later. I can't keep track of all that.

Chapters are due 1 week before Easter (yeah, I don't have a calendar handy). That should be enough time, I think. If you finish it sooner, you are welcome to send it in early, but only if it's fully ready.

Whoever writes a chapter that impresses me most can then continue the story on their own account with my blessing. The winner gets all my notes on what I was going to do with this story right up to the end and my advice whenever they want it. The winner is free to go on as I would have or deviate entirely and come up with something completely their own. Either way, I'll stay out of it unless asked. Of course, the winner will be the only one to receive my notes, so no one other than said winner and myself will know if my notes are being followed or not, so the winner is completely free to do as they want.

And that's it. Good luck to all applicants.


	42. As Christmas Draws Near

Alright, a new author for this story has been chosen and I am very satisfied with the way it is working out so far. For the moment, she's choosing to remain anonymous and asked that I continue to post the chapters here. The credit for the work from this point on goes entirely to her.

Chapter 41:

As Christmas Draws Near

----------

The blanket of snow that covered Hogwart's grounds was becoming thicker as Christmas came closer. For Yugi, Ryou, and Malik, the holiday was a spectacle to behold. The decorations in the muggle world were nothing compared to the extravagant displays that the castle was adorned with. Ryou particularly was excited for the feast that would happen on Christmas. Though he was more into Halloween (but didn't have the chance to enjoy it because of his dark and a certain Egyptian), he had to admit that he was every bit looking forward to the feast as he had been with the darker holiday.

As the weather became colder, and the snow began falling in even more abundance, the outdoor classes (Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures) were the first to go. The Gryffindors spent their free period lounging around the common room. Yugi and Ryou would've preferred exploring the castle and admiring its decorations, but the bitter cold of winter forced them to seek the warmth of their dormitories. It was still rather enjoyable though. They spent their time chatting as they warmed themselves by the fireplace, mugs of hot chocolate clasped between their hands.

"I could go home for the holidays?" Yugi asked in genuine curiosity. A piece of parchment was being passed around indicating the students who wanted to have their Christmases elsewhere to sign their name. So far, no one in their group had signed theirs.

"Yeah, if you want to," Harry answered. "But I thought you wanted to see the feast?"

Yugi fidgeted with his scarf, "Well, yeah…but…I kind of miss home…"

Harry smiled, a bit painfully, "Home-sick, eh? You'd never catch _me _feeling that. I think Uncle Vernon would have a fit if I turned up on their doorstep. I'd be ruining my holiday as well as theirs," he shook his head.

//What do you think, Yami?\\, Yugi asked mentally. //I really do miss Anzu and the others…\\

The pharaoh's spirit seemed to think for a moment, and then said, in a gentle tone//I…think we should stay here. All of us. Those dark wizards that attacked Kaiba could still be out there, it would be safest if we stayed here…Dumbledore would probably disapprove anyways\\

Yugi was a bit saddened by this but knew his other was right//That's true…\\

Yami seemed to sense his partner's sorrow and quickly acted to comfort him//I know you miss them, Yugi…but it's for your—_our _own safety. You could still send them letters if you like. And Bakura and Malik would be here with you. _I'll _be here…\\

A smile formed on Yugi's previously melancholy face//That's true too…thanks, Yami.\\

//No problem, Yugi\\, Yami said, smiling himself, glad to be able to raise his other's spirits//And tell the others to stay as well. Bakura or Malik haven't mentioned anything about planning on going home, but it's best to make sure.\\

When Yugi joined the conversation going on once more, he turned to Ryou (who'd been eyeing an advance reading for History of Magic. They boy said he enjoyed it, much to the other's puzzlement) and said, "Bakura?" The boy looked up and Yugi continued, "Are you planning on spending Christmas with your dad?"

Ryou blinked for a moment before replying, "Well…it _did_ cross my mind. But…the other me said that I should stay here…just to be safe," he shrugged, "I don't mind too much…dad's probably busy with his digs anyways."

Yami Bakura seemed to have the same line of thinking as he had, Yami thought. //But what about Malik?\\ he sent to Yugi.

"What about Malik?" Yugi voiced Yami's question.

Ryou appeared to space out, and Yugi knew that he must be conversing with Yami Bakura. It was logical, since the tomb robber was the person Malik usually hang out with. Not that he and Ryou were less friendly with the Egyptian in any way, but just because Yami Bakura and Malik had more in common, a taste for mischief being one of the things they shared.

//He didn't mention anything\\, Yami Bakura said. //But he might be thinking about it. That idiot doesn't give a damn about danger, and he'd probably want to see his sister and that bodyguard of his to make sure they're really fine. I think he's had it on his mind recently, actually…I don't know why, but his mood's been rather…dark…lately\\

This statement immediately caused Ryou to get concerned//Dark?\\

Yami Bakura quickly remedied his statement. He knew Ryou has been prone to feeling foreboding thoughts as of late, and he judged that he shouldn't burden his host with his own dark thoughts and assumptions if at all possible//I think he's passing through that phase wherein you teenage mortals feel as if the world's against you. Quite pathetic, actually.\\

Now that Ryou thought about it, Malik _had _been rather moody lately. He wasn't having angry outbursts or anything of the like. In fact, Malik had been rather quiet as Christmas drew nearer, and that was what seemed strange of him. The Egyptian had always been one to talk, joke, and laugh, but recently he seemed to be more withdrawn, and Ryou would occasionally catch him blanking out at random moments, as if thinking about something really hard.

//Maybe you should talk to him later\\ Ryou said softly.

//I've already planned on doing so\\, Yami Bakura said, surprising Ryou greatly. Since when did his dark start acting so concerned? Probably sensing this thought, Yami Bakura spoke once more to preserve his image//Hey, don't think I'm turning into anything like you sappy fools. As I told you before; that's never going to happen. If anything, think of it as me doing you all a favor. It would be in our best interests that Malik be in a pleasant mood in any case. You better go and tell Yugi. It would probably be best that he and Yami be aware of this as well.\\

The last sentence he added as an afterthought. He had only shared his theories of Malik's role in the tarot reading with the pharaoh so far. It was for the best, revealing anything to Yugi and Ryou would do nothing except cause unnecessary alarm, and since those two usually wore their emotions in their sleeves, it could cause Malik to realize something was up as well. And he wouldn't be too happy once he realized what that 'something' was. Hopefully, the pharaoh could figure out the underlying meaning of this issue concerning said Egyptian.

-------

Indeed, Malik was acting strange lately. He had been trying his best not to have the others notice his declining mood, and he thought he did a pretty a good job. So far, no one seemed to be expressing their concern about him, and knowing Yugi and Ryou, they would've asked him if anything was wrong the moment they noticed his rather somber disposition.

Currently, he was lazing on the couch in the Slytherin's common room, staring intensely at the flames dancing in the fireplace. He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. Damn he hated this; having nothing to do except lounge around and think. Especially since his thoughts seemed to be straying to a certain topic he preferred to leave alone forever, if possible.

For the past few years, he managed to pass through each end of the year smoothly, without thinking too much about _that _day; two days before Christmas. Mostly it was his less than legal ventures to locate the pharaoh that occupied his mind, leaving no place for trivial thoughts to trouble him. Each day overlapped with another and Malik wouldn't even notice that a week has already passed, too absorbed with his plans. Now, however…

With no criminal organization to lead and no devious plot to employ, there was nothing sparing him from thoughts about that _special _day…oh yes, very special indeed, he thought sarcastically.

"So, I'm going to be seventeen soon…" Malik said to himself.

"Really? Well, I'd make sure to send you a present then!" came Malfoy's sneer.

Malik snapped his eyes open and glared at the pale boy. Malfoy was towering over him, a smirk on his face. He must've been too absorbed in his thoughts and failed to notice the other approaching until it was too late

"Do you mind?" Malik snarled, "I'm trying to enjoy my free time here, and frankly, you're disrupting the peaceful atmosphere." He didn't move to get up. For the moment, he couldn't be bothered to turn this spat into anything more than just that.

Malfoy surprised him by turning around and sitting at one of the armchairs at the left side of the couch. What was he up to?

When Malfoy had settled himself comfortably, he turned his attention back to Malik. "You're in a particularly jolly mood, huh? Why? Bad memories of Christmas? Disappointed you don't get many presents from Santa?"

"I barely even celebrated Christmas before," he said darkly. It was true, running Ghouls was a 24 hour profession, and though he had the Millennium Rod, the organization was still quite a chore to maintain.

A triumphant look came upon Malfoy's face, and the next thing he said made Malik's blood run cold. "So I guess you're not looking forward to your birthday then. Can't say I blame you. I think the world would've been better off, and I'm sure those of us here wouldn't miss your presence, if you'd never been born. Maybe even your parents would've been better off without you to stink up their lives."

Malik said nothing but Malfoy knew he'd hit home, or close to it, by the way the other boy stiffened. Without hesitation, he continued, "Come to think of it, I've never heard you talk about your folks…and from my experience, the only people who act like that are those who have something to hide about their family. What? Was your dad a criminal or something? An addict maybe? What about your mom? Or maybe you're like Potter, you know, with your parents six feet under, so to speak."

Before Malik even knew what he was doing he was standing up, and the next second, he had Malfoy by the scruff of his shirt. The pale Slytherin couldn't help but flinch in response, Malik's lavender eyes were burning into his, and the way his eyes reflected the flames from the fireplace only helped to intensify this. But he wasn't worried, Crabbe and Goyle were standing by as he ordered them to, and he already had his wand out, concealed behind his back. If Malik decided to attack him further, he could counter-attack and claim it to be self-defense.

"You know what?" Malik breathed heavily, "If you've met me just a few months ago, you'd think twice before riling me up. Thrice for talking about my family in any way I find undesirable," he clenched his fist tighter around Malfoy's shirt, "Lucky for you, I'm a fairly decent person now. Though by the way things are going, I'm extremely tempted to let myself _slip_ temporarily."

Malfoy refused to back down, "Oh yeah? Well, thank you for being a pansy then, makes it all easier for me."

A look of disgust was on Malik's face as he let go of the other boy, "You really are a fool…that's it. I'm going. Preferably somewhere Malfoy-free," he started to walk away, but Malfoy couldn't resist having the last word, "Don't worry, Ishtal. I'll tell your low-class friends about your birthday. Maybe I'd even help them arrange a party for you! Wait for it!"

------

The classes passed by relatively smoothly. And soon, everyone was gathered in the Great Hall for the usual dinner. It was halfway through the meal that Yami Bakura noticed something of concern from his view from his soul room. //Ryou, where's Malik?\\

Ryou paused his eating and blinked. //Maybe he's with the Slytherins…\\. However, a quick glance at the other house's table proved his theory wrong. He turned to the others and asked, "Hey, has any one of you seen Malik?"

Harry and the others looked up from their plates and looked around. Indeed, the tan blonde was nowhere to be seen.

"The last time I've seen him was back at potions," Ron said

Hermione nodded, "That's right, he said he's going to rest up in his common room, I think."

"Maybe he fell asleep or something, the guy _has _been looking rather tired lately," Ron shrugged it off.

Yugi and Ryou were considerably more concerned by Malik than the other trio. Already, Yami was telling Yugi to search for their friend at once, immediately deeming this situation a cause of concern. Yugi was about to tell the others about this when Ryou suddenly stood up, and they all noticed that it was in fact, Yami Bakura in control.

"I'm going to look for him," he said decisively, "I have something I want to talk about anyways," he looked at Yugi meaningfully for a moment, and though this was interpreted as a silent leave by the small boy, Yami realized at once that Yami Bakura meant to ask Malik about his rather strange behavior, and probably see if this was the prelude to that event the reading predicted. Yami really wished it wasn't so.

Bakura turned around and set his eyes at the Slytherin table, seeing Malfoy and his goons rising up, apparently finished with their food. Wasting no time, he followed them until they were just outside the Great Hall.

When he was sure they were out of sight of anyone incriminating, Yami Bakura grabbed Malfoy's shoulder roughly, forcing him to turn around.

"What the—who the hell—?" he said angrily, but stopped himself once he saw Yami Bakura's face. Malfoy couldn't fathom why, but ever since that crazy Quidditch game with those Gryffindors, he found himself avoiding the white-haired Chaser whenever he could. He refused to recognize his feeling as some kind of fear. Why would he be afraid of that long-haired freak anyways? Bakura couldn't do anything to him. But still, when he looked at the other boy now, he couldn't help but get that weird feeling, a feeling telling him to be cautious around him, and if possible, avoid trouble altogether. Malfoy couldn't quite explain all this, but he went with it, for the meantime at least. Of course, he wasn't going to let the other know about his thoughts.

"What the hell do you want?" he sneered, dusting of his shoulder as if ridding it of germs from Yami Bakura's hand.

Yami Bakura went straight to the point. "Where's Malik? He wasn't at dinner."

Malfoy was tempted to play around, but once more, that strange warning feeling he was getting prevented him from doing so. "He was in our common room earlier, but he ran off, just when I greeted him 'Happy Birthday', too."

"Happy Birthday?" Yami Bakura repeated. 'He never mentioned that his birthday was coming before…'

"Yeah, caught him moping and talking to himself. So I said hello," Malfoy said, a smirk on his face.

Yami Bakura was sure that Malfoy did something more than just 'say hello', he would've questioned the other even further, but finding Malik was top priority at the moment. So with one last dirty look cast at Malfoy's way, he walked away to look for his missing accomplice.

------

Malik took a page from Yami Bakura's book and went to the tower where he and said tomb robber had had their talks a number of times. It was still pretty early, and when he peeked through the window, the sky was a dusky blue in color. The others must be eating now, he thought absent-mindedly.

He decided he'd join them later. For now, he wanted to think.

'This is stupid,' he berated himself, 'I'm angsting about my birthday.' He slid down the wall and sat Indian-style. He tried to think about the holiday itself, Christmas, since he's seen how all the others seemed so hyped up about the celebration. Ryou and Yugi were particularly in awe about the preparations the school was having for the upcoming feast. But despite the generally jolly atmosphere, Malik couldn't help but drop into a sad mood every now and then. It started when he just realized how close Christmas was, and so, how close his day of birth was as well.

And then he had Malfoy to deal with. The boy was totally unbearable! And with his rod banned, as well as any of the Millennium Items' magic, he was stumped as to how to counter the other Slytherin. He would've researched some nasty spell, but most of the spells he came across were too advanced for him. Subjecting Malfoy to pranks also crossed his mind, but yet another problem could arise there as well. He could get into trouble, punished even. Snape, as Dumbledore had told them before, has been made aware of their powers. At first, Malik thought this wouldn't affect Snape's fondness of him at all, but he was proven wrong when Snape had a talk with him after lessons a week or so ago.

"Now that the headmaster has informed me of your abilities, I have pieced together Draco's accusations of you earlier this year," Snape had said in a professional tone as he looked at Malik from across his desk. "I will not tolerate you taking advantage of your fellow Slytherins in any way, especially Draco."

Needless to say, he lost quite a number of points (both in terms of favor, and house points) then and there.

"God, I hate my life now."

"I guess we're somewhat the same in that aspect," came a very familiar voice. Malik looked up and noticed Yami Bakura standing a mere three feet away from him.

"That's the second time today that someone snuck up on me," Malik said, frowning, "You're lucky I didn't curse you or something."

Yami Bakura rolled his eyes, "Oh, please, you're wand-work is pathetic…I'm actually surprised you haven't snapped it in two or something, the way you're always throwing it around whenever you don't get a spell right."

A sigh escaped Malik's lips as he rose up and regained himself. "I guess you're going to lounge around here and think about the meaning of life, fate, destiny, like you usually do, so I'm gonna go right ahead and remove myself from your presence." He moved towards the door but was stopped when Yami Bakura laid a hesitant hand on his shoulder. He blinked at the tomb robber and said, "What?"

"I…need to talk to you…" Yami Bakura said, hesitation apparent in his voice.

Malik blinked, "Wow. Usually _I'm _the one who comes to talk to you when you're moping around here. Looks like we switched roles all of a sudden. This must be serious."

The worry Yami Bakura felt lifted somewhat, seeing that Malik was joking around. That was a good sign. He pushed forward, "I noticed—I mean _we_ noticed, meaning Ryou and I, that you've been rather…quiet lately…"

"Hey, we can't all be happy all the time. I mean, Yugi _does _seem capable of smiling 24/7, but that kid's practically made of sugar. I have my somber moments to, you know," Malik answered casually.

Malik didn't look at him in the eye when he answered, and this was a clear sign to Yami Bakura that the other boy was attempting to weasel out of their conversation with his jokes.

"Malfoy told me your birthday was coming up," he ventured, searching the other's face for any significant change. He noticed Malik's eyes widen for a moment before adapting a forced uninterested look.

"So it is," was Malik's simple reply.

"You never told Yugi, or Ryou, for that matter."

"It's not like I'm planning a party or anything."

"From my experience…most people are usually happy when their birthday draws near," Yami Bakura said airily.

Malik grinned, rather painfully, "Yeah, well…I'm afraid I'm not like most people…" he was trying his best to draw Yami Bakura out of the topic they were wandering about. "Look…I don't really want to talk about this right now. It…It-s nothing, alright?"

"You know, Malik," Yami Bakura's tone hardened, "I was willing to share some of my thoughts with you whenever you sought me out here (it helped me somewhat, I admit). And you know how I hate revealing anything about myself to people. It feels rather unfair that when _I'm _the one poking at your thoughts, you block me out."

Yami Bakura turned around in an angry flurry, moving to walk away from the blonde.

A guilty feeling started growing in Malik's conscience. He was right, it wasn't fair. He always prodded Yami Bakura to share what he was thinking when the other was being moody, or when he knew that something was bothering the tomb robber. And in truth, he was surprised when Yami Bakura said he noticed his quiet behavior, maybe even a little touched (though he'd never admit that to anyone, especially said dark spirit). Maybe…he should…accept the other Bakura's helping hand. He knew that it was rare for the other to act anything like this, and shooting down Yami Bakura's request to hear his thoughts would prove unhealthy to their alliance, or friendship even. It could've hurt the spirit's feelings as well. Maybe Yami Bakura thought the reason he didn't want to talk with him was because he didn't trust the other well enough to expose his inner secrets. And strange enough, Malik didn't want the other to think this; he didn't want Yami Bakura thinking he was suspicious of him.

"You know about my…back, right?" he said. Yami Bakura froze but did not turn around. Malik was worried for a moment that he spoke too late, so he was greatly relieved when Yami Bakura faced him, the other's previously furious expression softened somewhat.

"Yes…" Yami Bakura said.

"My birthday…" Malik continued, a far-away look on his face. "It was on my birthday, that I received them…" he paused for a moment.

'The scars,' Yami Bakura realized, though he kept quiet.

"It was also on my birthday that _he _appeared…" Malik said. He still avoided looking at Yami Bakura's face and instead looked outside the window. "I just…can't help but remember all those things…all those bad memories. I had Ghouls keeping me busy before, but now…I have nothing to distract me," he forced a grin and finally looked directly at Yami Bakura, "Kind of makes me miss the old days. Before, I had something to drive me on, and it drowned all my other—well, it just kept my mind off bad memories you know?"

Yami Bakura couldn't find a suitable reply to this. What was there to be said anyways? Except; "I miss it too." Malik's head snapped up, a confused expression on his face. He continued, "Things were so much simpler then. I had my sights set on the pharaoh and the Millennium Items. I knew what I wanted to do, and I did it. I didn't have to worry about anyone other than myself, and getting what I want. But now…"

"You have to look out for Bakura, and maybe the others as well," A smile broke in Malik's face. It made him feel better, to have someone understand what he was feeling. And he also managed to discover something more about the other Bakura, he always considered it a personal victory whenever he did.

"It's not only them, you need me to save your ass sometimes as well," Yami Bakura said with a smirk. "Like now, when you obviously had a row with Malfoy. Who knew? You could've been contemplating to jump off this tower because you can't handle him without little ole me. Fortunately, I arrived in time to save you."

Malik shoved him playfully. "You know, when you did that Quidditch-Game of Darkness thing, you could've mentioned me to Malfoy in passing, you know, something like, 'Hey, you better lay off that Malik Ishtal guy. I heard he eats people's brains if he really gets pissed off,' or something," Malik sighed, "He's been stepping all over me these past few days. And with Ryou and you out of the picture, I get his complete attention. Flattered I may be, but I'm getting tired of it…and the fact that Snape's suspicious of me now only makes matters worse."

Yami Bakura laughed briefly, "Unfortunately, I was too busy avoiding you and Yami at that Shadow Game to have a little chat with Malfoy," However, though he said this, Yami Bakura found himself actually feeling sorry for Malik, and maybe a little guilt as well. He had promised before, at their first few days in Hogwarts, that they'd have each other's back, making their feud with Malfoy a tag-team effort. But it seemed that he wasn't quite fulfilling their deal. Sure he was successful in pulling Ryou out of harm's way, but what of Malik? The blonde was now Malfoy's prime target, and by the look of things, Malik was at the losing end of their feud.

"Hey," Malik's voice broke into his thoughts. He looked up and saw the blonde give him a sheepish yet grateful smile, "Thanks, I feel better now, really. But I—don't tell the others okay? Yugi knows about the carving but no one needs to know that my birthday's coming. If Ryou asks, or anyone else, tell them I'm just upset since I can't spend my first real Christmas with Isis and Rishid. They wrote me a letter saying I should stay here since it's 'too dangerous' and whatever. It's technically true anyways."

"Whatever," replied Yami Bakura. But that was his typical reply, and it meant 'yes and you're welcome' in his strange language, so Malik was grateful. He nodded once in the direction of the tomb robber, and was about to leave when Yami Bakura spoke again.

"Hey, Malik…just so you know, if there's any way for me to engage myself with Malfoy without involving my host, I would—"

"I know," Malik looked back at him, his hand just clasping the doorknob. There was a look in his eyes that oozed a silent message of gratefulness as he spoke, a lopsided smile on his face. The way Yami Bakura spoke that single sentence so hurriedly spoke volumes, and Malik, even with the seriousness in the atmosphere, couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the obvious discomfort the spirit must be feeling as of now. With a certain glint in his eyes, he said, "I know how you hate it when you're not the center of any situation that could spell chaos anyways. We should trade lives sometime."

It took Yami Bakura a few seconds to answer. He couldn't help but register just how true that seemingly trivial and lighthearted sentence was, Malik really seemed to be the center of chaos whenever he was involved, before in Battle City, and now in this new sure-to-be devastating event foretold by the tarot. Maybe before he _would've _envied the other for this, but now…

"Trade lives? Don't get all sentimental on me, Malik."

Malik was forced to chuckle and shake his head, "That's right, Bakura, _I'm _the sentimental fool. Yeah, sure," he gave the spirit a pointy look.

Yami Bakura only 'hmphed', crossed his arms, and looked at the side. But even in the dim lighting couldn't hide the slight red tinge that colored his pale cheeks. "See if I come to your rescue the _next _time you decide to go all depressed and suicidal."

He only laughed at the other's façade and shook his head in resignation. Whatever he did or let slip, Yami Bakura was just that; Yami Bakura, and though the dark spirit was a whole lot more hospitable than before, he wouldn't be changing his attitude anytime soon. That was fine though, Malik thought as he finally opened the door, and with a last smile directed at his accomplice, began the long trek down the tower. Because he couldn't imagine Yami Bakura being any different than he was right now.

-----

By the following day, Malik was in a very good mood which did not go unnoticed by everyone.

Ryou was a bit worried about why the blonde was so joyful. He knew his other had a talk with Malik, like he had suggested. But he didn't know exactly what the two had talked about. Yami Bakura had requested that he leave them to talk in private, and though this puzzled him greatly, he complied with this request. However, this worry soon evaporated from his mind when he realized that Yami Bakura must have been successful in getting Malik to confide his problems with him. Seeing Malik happy allowed Ryou to dismiss that lingering feeling of dread that he had been feeling recently as nothing more than nerves, and as long as it was so, Ryou was willing to allow Malik and Yami Bakura to have their secretive fun (he did hope it was something that _doesn't _trample over the school's rules though).

Yugi, only made aware of Malik's strange behavior when Ryou talked with him yesterday, was quite relieved of this development, but not as cautious about it as Ryou. Yami pretty much felt the same way, though he did wonder what had occurred between the two that could improve Malik's mood so much in so little time. He noted to himself to ask the tomb robber later.

It was just before dinner (wherein Malik had a free period) that the boy found himself rummaging through his things. He had, unfortunately, forgotten about an essay for Potions about the different uses for unicorn-derived ingredients. It was supposed to be incorporated with what they learned from Care of Magical Creatures a month or so back (Malik personally thought Snape should've given it a bit earlier). The essay was due tomorrow and Malik didn't want to cram for the night He rather valued his sleep.

As he dropped a pile of books on his bed to find some suitable reference for unicorns, he happened upon that biting book he and Yugi had found in the library. It had been quite a while since they first came across it, and Malik was fairly surprised that it disappeared from their minds completely the past couple of weeks. But with the workload they all had, it didn't seem so impossible that it somehow slipped their minds.

Thinking that he could take a look at it now, if nothing more than for pure curiosity, he grouped it with his homework pile and placed them in his bag. If he was going to poke around with the book, he couldn't do it where anyone could see him in plain sight, so that ruled the Slytherin dormitories and common room out. Especially since Malfoy could pop up anytime without him knowing.

He wandered around the corridors for a while, not really in a hurry, as he thought about where he could do his homework as well as examine the book. The tower he and Bakura had made their spot crossed his mind, but it was free for anyone to access and a random student could come around and see him with a live snake-embedded book and start yapping about it to his or her friends or something.

Suddenly, he stopped when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He looked at the side and he saw that it was an 'Out of Order' sign nailed to a door. The floor in front of said door was rather wet; the sink must have been leaking or something. Upon closer inspection, he found out it was a girl's bathroom, and somehow familiar as well. He didn't really know why though.

And then the solution to his dilemma hit him, a sly victorious smirk played around his lips. He could stay here! It was out of order, so that ruled out the chance of girls coming in, and the mere reason that it's a girl's rest room was enough to keep most boys away. No one would look for him here. And he didn't really have any issues as to using a girl's bathroom as his study of a sort, so why not?

He checked his surroundings first to make sure no one was around before he entered the restroom, closing the door behind him. His nose wrinkled as he surveyed his surroundings, almost the entire floor was flooded. He tried his best to keep his shoes dry but gave up eventually and squelched his way around until he reached the other end of the room (just his luck, the only dry part wherein he could settle himself was the farthest away from the door).

He tipped the contents of his bag, careful to keep the books from getting wet, before starting to work, unaware of a pair of glossy eyes behind a translucent pair of glasses observing him.

The only sound was that of the steady _drip_ of the leaking sink, and the occasional turn of paper as Malik scanned the books for his essay. This went on for a good twenty minutes before Malik felt ready to blow. He had never described himself as a patient, persevering guy, and to him 20 minutes of continuous work was enough to call him a saint. However, he was only half-done with his essay and so decided to take a little break wherein he'd prod that Egyptian book of theirs.

He set aside his homework and dragged the large book in front of him. It looked the same as before. He picked it up and turned it this way and that as he tried to see if there was some kind of message written somewhere that would indicate how they'd be able to open the book without facing the wrath of the poisonous cobras.

He was quite frustrated when he found nothing from every angle. There wasn't even a title at its spine. He decided to open the book again, thinking that he could probably peek inside if he moved fast enough. He took out his Millennium Rod and backed up a bit before he flipped the cover open.

Like before, the snake printed at the cover came to life, striking swiftly at the rod that Malik had used to flip the book open swiftly. It didn't surprise Malik as much as before since he expected it. This time he tried to fend off the cobra with his rod, thinking that just maybe, if he kept it busy, he'd be able to look at a few pages or something.

However, the moment he moved to lift a page, the _other _snake embedded on the book came to life as well, nearly biting his hand off. Malik cursed loudly as he yanked both his hands out of harm's way. "Son of a—freaking snake! What do I have to do to read this goddamned book, huh?" he shouted at the now inanimate book, "Answer me!"

"You know…snakes don't speak our language…" an airy voice suddenly said.

Malik nearly jumped out of his skin. He hadn't heard the door open or anything. So how…

His eyes wandered over near the stalls and he saw a translucent girl regarding him with keen interest. So it's one of the school's ghost, he realized, his heartbeat slowing somewhat. "W-what are you doing here?"

The girl blinked at him with her wide tearful eyes, "I live here. Besides, I should be the one asking you that question. As far as I know, you're not a girl, though you do look rather…feminine."

Malik huffed and did not even dignify that with an answer.

The ghost girl floated towards him, and then dropped to his height. "I'm Myrtle," she said.

It took Malik a few seconds to answer, "Oh…uh, well, I'm Malik." Though he'd been in Hogwarts for quite a few months now, Malik had never really gotten used to the ghosts wandering around the school, so he found it rather uncomfortable conversing with one.

"You're one of those new transfers. You're friends with Harry."

"Yes," Malik said cautiously, "That's true."

"Why were you yelling at that book before? Were you really trying to talk to those snakes at its cover?" Myrtle asked, she leaned forwards and peered at the book for a moment. Malik, caught off-guard by the sudden topic change could only mutter an, "Err…not really…"

"They can't understand what you're saying, you know," Myrtle said in a matter-a-fact tone.

Malik glared, "I'm not stupid. I know that! I was just—"

"You should ask Harry to help you."

Malik blinked confusedly, "Uh…what?"

"Harry can speak to snakes, he's a parselmouth…the whole school knows it, or at least…the fourth years and the higher levels do. I believe he was a second year when he was hearing that large snake's voice…I can't really remember. Time's just so hard to keep track of when you're a ghost," she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

But Malik was unaware of any of this now, the gears on his head were turning and his eyes widened in realization. He faintly recalled Harry, Ron, and Hermione tell them about Harry's ability to talk with snakes when they were talking about the other trio's exploits against that dark wizard. He thought it was pretty cool then, but thought nothing more of it after a while. Maybe Harry could talk to those snakes and they'd be able to find out how to open the book. Maybe this was their answer. He can't get over the fact that he never thought about it before, and it was such a simple thing too! (Not to mention staring right at his face)

In a rush, he started shoving his things back inside his bag. Myrtle looked on with a frown, "You're leaving already?"

Malik stopped and looked at her apologetically, "Sorry, but I really got to see my friends about something. You were a great help though. You just gave me a great idea," he grinned. Though he didn't quite appreciate the ghost popping up all of a sudden earlier, he was all hyped up about his sudden realization and was actually grateful Myrtle shared her two cents with him. His day just kept on getting better and better.

He trudged towards the door, not caring at all how he was getting the ends of his pants wet, he looked back at Myrtle for a moment, who was watching him leave with a somber expression and said, "I'll try to drop by sometime. If I don't, then look for me or something," he grinned.

Myrtle appeared surprised by this and Malik saw a semblance of a smile tug at her usually downcast lips. "Alright."

With a final nod, Malik shouldered his bag and rushed out of the room. He briskly walked towards the great hall, his steps with a certain spring in them. Dinner would be starting soon, and he could tell the others about his idea then. His eyes were shining with excitement, this was going to be the start of something, he was sure of it!


	43. A Serpent’s Tongue

**Sorry it took a month for this to be finished (coughs), but hey, I have my own fanfiction stuff to worry about. Kind of like living a double life, you know.**

**So, yes, this is the new author(ess), eh…(waves weakly)**

**Now, first off, a very VERY big thanks to those who have continued to support the story. I (and White Angel, I'm sure as well) am very happy to see that you have not forsaken this fic. I can assure you all that I'll try my best to keep the story's high quality intact (lest I suffer from all of you 'TNS' fans XD). **

**All future chapters will be uploaded by White Angel in her original account (err…here). Since it's very much easier this way for old readers to stay in touch. Basically, I send her the chapter, she edits out typos and such, and posts it afterwards.**

**Questions about the story itself…we'll just leave that for now. To keep you on your toes, you know? ;)**

**----------**

Chapter 42:

A Serpent's Tongue

-----

Harry looked at a certain Egyptian curiously. He and Ron were the last in their group to finish eating and had just exited the still-bustling great hall when they literally bumped into Malik. The blonde appeared to have been running and it took a few moments for him to regain himself. Harry's eyes wandered on the heavy-looking book held tightly against the other boy's chest, Malik's free hand was clasping Harry's shoulder as he regained his breath. Strange, he never thought of Malik as the bookish type.

Ron was looking at the boy with concern, "Whoa there, is the Bloody Baron chasing you or something?"

Malik ignored him and instead looked at Harry with something resembling relief and excitement in his eyes. He panted slightly and said, "I was afraid I was going to miss you. Where's Yugi and Bakura?"

The dark-haired boy blinked at him, "Uh…they went up already…" Yugi and Ryou had gone on ahead to get an early start on their homework, Hermione decided to go along with them as well, probably to get started on an essay that wouldn't be due for another two weeks.

Malik frowned. Noticing this, Harry asked, "Is something wrong? I could call them—"

"Nah…" he shook his head, "It's _you _that I need," Malik gave him an unsettling smile. In the short time that Harry had known the other boy, he had pegged Malik as one of those people you just had to be cautious with (whether you're his friend or not). It wasn't like he thought of the Slytherin as a threat to his life or anything, more of an unpredictable individual that apparently had a mischievous streak to rival that of Fred and George.

Harry was very surprised when Malik held out the old book he was carrying with shining eyes, "I need you to help me with this," he said.

"Er…don't you think this is more of Hermione's forte? Besides, I don't take Ancient Runes," he said unsurely. The book, he recognized, appeared to have an Egyptian theme about it, hieroglyphics and all. It looked somehow familiar though.

"Well…unless she can speak to snakes as well…"

Harry and Ron looked at the cover of the book in Malik's possession. Both wore confused expressions. "I don't really know what you're getting at, but Harry can only speak to _live _snakes," Ron said dubiously.

Malik looked insulted, "I'm not stupid," he scoffed, giving Ron an irritated look. "They're mere pictures now, but I can change that."

From what he gathered from the looks Harry and Ron were giving him, they weren't following him as well as he thought. Malik couldn't help but find it funny in a way. Considering the two Gryffindors have been spending the past couple of years in a magical castle, turning cats into mittens or whatever, you would've thought they would be more understanding when it comes to things like this. However, they wouldn't be making any progress in figuring this book out if they kept going at this pace, so he said, "Just…come with me, alright? I just need to see if a…hunch of mine is correct."

There was a short moment of silent contemplation before Harry finally spoke "Well…I guess it couldn't hurt…" he shrugged, though he still looked a bit quizzical.

Malik beamed at him, before turning to Ron, "Tell Yugi and Ryou that I might be _very _close to opening the priest's book. They'll understand what I mean."

----

"He's going to let Harry talk to the book?"

Ron only shrugged as he munched on a half-eaten doughnut he snatched from the Great Hall. "That's how it sounded like. He kinda lost me at the part where he said that he can turn the snakes real."

Yugi and Ryou exchanged looks, both not quite knowing how to handle this situation that just popped up out of nowhere. Yugi wanted to see what Malik was attempting to do personally, but Ron had no clue where Harry and Malik would be testing out their little experiment. Ryou felt the same way, but seeing that they had no choice but wait and see what the Egyptian would report, said, "I'm sure Malik would tell us if he discovers anything tomorrow."

//I can't believe we didn't think about this earlier// Yami mumbled deep in Yugi's mind. The latter could've sworn there was a hint of disappointment in the other's voice, but whether it was because finding the key to opening the enchanted item took longer than necessary or that Malik figured it out first, Yugi couldn't be too sure.

//Well…at least we're getting somewhere now// Yugi said reasonably as he turned back to his work. Professor Trelawney had given them a chart to complete about the various symbolisms of the tarot deck. Yugi was having trouble recalling almost everything and was very thankful for the assistance Ryou gladly offered him. The white-haired boy was very adept with this fortunetelling business that he barely even had to look at their textbook for reference.

"—Yugi?"

Yugi pulled himself back to reality with a shake of his head and an apologetic glance at Hermione, "Uh, pardon?"

"What's this book you keep talking about?" she said in a huffy tone, not at all happy with being left out of the loop. Even _Ron_ appeared to know more than her.

"Oh!" Yugi exclaimed, he gave a sideways look at Ryou, "We never really told them about it, didn't we?"

Ryou shook his head before turning to Hermione to answer her question. He was quite sure it wouldn't do any harm to tell her about the book Malik and Yugi had discovered. "We got permission from Professor Dumbledore to access the Restricted Section of the library," he started slowly. "We wanted to see if we could find any in-depth information about our Items and he said we might be able to find something there. I…wasn't really with Yugi and Malik when they found the book, so…" he turned to look expectantly at Yugi.

Yugi began to give Hermione a condensed version of how he and Malik came to chance upon the strange book. There wasn't much to say anyways, though he did have to do a more detailed account at the part wherein he and Malik discovered (by a slightly painful encounter at his and Yami's expense) the very much alive and poisonous cobras embedded on the book's cover. Hermione and Ron took this in with fascination.

"That book must be very important to be protected by such a potent enchantment," Hermione said thoughtfully.

Yugi nodded, "Malik thinks it belongs to Kaiba in his past life."

"Wasn't he the one in that Japanese newspaper we saw?" Ron recalled. "Your rival, right?"

//The most stubborn one yet// Yami commented. Yugi inwardly smiled, being the only one who could hear the pharaoh.

"So this Seto Kaiba was with the other Yugi and Bakura…when they lived in Egypt," Hermione ventured. Yugi and Ryou nodded. "Speaking of which…" she suddenly said, an honestly curious look on her face. Ryou couldn't help but sense a bit of carefully masked eagerness in her voice. Deep within the recesses of his mind, Yami Bakura stirred in amusement. //Well, well, well…this is just _precious_…//

Ryou was confused. //What are you talking about?//

However the tomb robber didn't grace him with a reply, only chuckling teasingly in his mind.

"Have you received word from Dumbledore about him yet?" Hermione asked. Ron was giving her a suspicious look which went unnoticed.

Yugi blinked and shook his head. "No…he hasn't told us anything so far…"

She looked disappointed, "Oh…never mind then."

However, Ron wasn't going to let this go so easily. He gave his friend an accusing look and demanded, "Why are you asking about that Kaiba guy, huh? And you keep looking at that newspaper you snatched—" Hermione stopped him with a glare.

"I did not _snatch _it, Ron," she said haughtily. "And is it so wrong to be curious every once in a while?"

Ron remained unmoved. "This doesn't look like mere _curiosity _to me!" his voice started to rise.

Yugi and Ryou could only stare at the two. Hermione, though being subjected to Ron's dissecting glare, appeared to be relatively composed except for the warning look she was giving the boy. Ron, on the other hand, was quickly reddening and looked just about ready to explode. The red-haired Gryffindor was clearly holding something back, but it didn't look like he could do it much longer.

"Oh?" Hermione raised an eyebrow testily, "Then what _is _it, then?

"Another Gilderoy Lockhart. that's what it is," Ron muttered scathingly after a moment of silence, wherein he wondered whether voicing out his thoughts would be hazardous to his health or not. Yugi and Ryou were beyond confused. They recognized the name from one of the notable persons Harry had mentioned before when he shared to them his many encounters with his enemies (namely Voldemort), but how was this person related to Kaiba?

Hermione looked absolutely livid. Her lips were pressed into a very thin line and her nostrils flared as she attempted to calm herself. Yugi had never seen her like this and suddenly found himself wishing that he could somehow sneak away unnoticed.

Yami was thinking along the same lines as his light half.

Yami Bakura on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the show quite well from where he was watching through Ryou's eyes. //This sure got personal really fast// Ryou heard him say lightly.

//Maybe we should leave…// Ryou said unsurely. Still keeping his eyes on the arguing duo, he slowly started to gather his things quietly.

"Just what are you trying to say, Ron?" Hermione asked calmly, eyes flashing.

Ron hesitated for a few seconds, his mind shuffling through a series of possible answers, each one worse than the last. "Figures you'd go for the bloody rich ones," he blurted out without thinking.

Hermione looked positively scandalized. Her glare intensified even more as she fixed Ron with a disgusted and indignant look. "You—How _dare _you!" she shouted. Her brown eyes promised pain as she tried to regain her dignity. Really! How could Ron make such accusations! Hermione wasn't going to deny that she didn't find Seto Kaiba interesting (who wouldn't find a teenage billionaire who ran his own company impressive?). But to think that he had the audacity to accuse her of—

She calmed herself. Hermione wasn't a shallow superficial person, and she's proven that many times over. She shouldn't have the need to justify anything. Three pairs of eyes followed her movement as she smoothly grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and proceeded to weave around them as she walked towards the direction of the girl's dormitories.

Just before she was about to scale the staircase, she said without looking back, "If you think I am that _low_, you'd also wonder why I'd bother hanging around with you now, wouldn't you?" with that, she took even deliberate steps until she disappeared from their sight. Ron gaped after her.

There was a long moment of silence wherein the three boys just stood there. One shocked beyond recognition, while the two others took in what just happened.

//You know// Ryou heard Yami Bakura suddenly say//That was actually entertaining//

------

On the other side of the world, the focal point of Hermione and Ron's quarrel was currently in a sour mood as well. Seto Kaiba's long thin fingers tapped the surface of the table loudly, his mouth set in a very deep frown that didn't escape the attention of the room's inhabitants.

Seto's less than cheerful personality was common knowledge to anyone associated with Kaiba Corporation, and it has always been a good cause to worry when their boss' face would contort into a decidedly unpleased expression. The company's head was well-known for having a very cool and calm exterior (sometimes even bordering emotionless), but this particular image seemed to be changing as of late. Seto had been significantly edgier and prone to snappish responses whenever irked even the slightest bit. His staff assumed that this change was caused by the attack to the Kaiba estate. The actual event might've occurred near a month ago, but the company was feeling its effects still and this did not bode well with their superior.

However, this was only a relatively small portion of what was bothering Seto. And aside from the cold teen himself, only one other individual knew what was occupying Seto's thoughts enough as to actually affect his work.

Mokuba knew his brother was still reeling with the after-effects of the visit that long-bearded man, Dumbledore, had graced them with. It was obvious to the young boy that Seto was more shaken than he was letting on regarding what the old man had told them (and what they saw the man do). Personally, Mokuba had no problems with Dumbledore's visit, and was actually quite disappointed that Seto turned down the other's assistance so quickly. He would've at least liked the wizard to show him a few cool tricks with that magic wand of his.

But the younger Kaiba knew that Seto would sooner give away money on the streets with a wide smile than admit that what he had just seen wasn't some kind of illusion but actually real. Though his brother was a genius, a prodigy of his age, one of Seto's major faults was his ego-enhanced stubbornness. It would take a whole lot of persuading and face-to-face confrontations to get Seto Kaiba to change his views with something he's been very firm about for so long (in this case, the inexistence of magic).

Seto found himself running the (dare he describe it?) _magical _encounter in his mind's eye many times. It frustrated him to the core how the utterly mundane man plagued his thoughts and how his cryptic words rang in his ears whenever he let his mind wander. He buried himself in the company matters, almost grateful for the flow of Kaiba Corp problems that distracted him from his inner turmoil.

It irked him even more to see that his employees seemed to have grasped that something was wrong. It seemed that they weren't quite as dull as he perceived them to be. But despite these inconveniences, Seto plowed on unrelentingly through each day as the meticulous and dedicated company president that he was. It was this fact that had him today; meeting a possible business associate, despite the fact that said associate was almost 15 minutes late.

This was the cause of Seto' s irritated expression and his impatient tapping on the desk. His blue eyes glanced at his watch every now and then, his mood declining at each passing second.

The only one not at all ruffled in the room was Mokuba. The small boy was seated to the right of his brother. Seto had been reluctant in letting him leave his sight since the attack and had the boy accompany him on his business ventures since then. Mokuba didn't mind it much, he wanted to be near his brother anyways.

"I truly hope that this English businessman you've asked me to meet is worth wasting twenty minutes of my day…" he mused coldly as he looked around the room, his eyes resting upon each of the high-ranking employees.

A few timid mutters were exchanged, though none of them raised their voices enough for Seto to hear clearly.

Mokuba, looked at him with concern. "Big brother," he said imploringly, "Maybe you should rest in your office for a while. I could stay here and take care of things until the English man arrives, then I could come and get you."

Seto gave a weary sigh, kneading his temple with his fingers. He was about to reply when he heard his secretary through the speaker phone set on the table.

"Mr. Kaiba, we have a Mr. Poe here. He said he has an appointment. Should I send him in?"

He wasted no time in replying, "Go ahead."

Those gathered at the table visibly straightened up. Business was finally flowing as usual.

'He better have a good reason for being late' Seto thought irritably as he fixed his eyes at the door, waiting for their guest to come in. The man, whether he knew it or not, had already made a lasting impression on Seto Kaiba. And it was not a good one.

Seto highly valued the dependability and punctuality of his business associates. If this Mr. Poe couldn't arrive at a meeting of clear importance such as this one on time, then Seto couldn't expect much from him in normal circumstances. In actuality, he would've liked to cancel the meeting altogether, but that could also mean a sure-to-be lost opportunity. It was very rare for foreign investors to take an interest in Kaiba Corp, another thing was that Seto wanted to establish connections with high-society English individuals as this could be the very thing he would need to find out exactly what those robed figures wanted when they attacked him before. What better way to acquire information about a bunch of English criminals than from an English man himself, after all.

As much as he might hate it, this Mr. Poe could very well be some kind of help in solving his problems.

All eyes turned towards the door when it opened. Three men came in, all were pale-skinned, and donning the traditional business suit and tie. One man stood a few steps in front of his comrades, and Seto knew that this must be Mr. Poe. The man looked ordinary enough, Seto observed. But there was something just out of place. The man looked strangely uncomfortable and he kept adjusting his neck tie every now and then, the same could be said with his two accomplices (bodyguards, Seto assumed).

He shook himself. Trivial observations, nothing more. It would be best to move on with the meeting.

Seto stood up and smoothly walked towards the new arrivals with confident strides. When he was finally in front of Poe, he extended a hand. "Seto Kaiba, president of Kaiba Corporation," he introduced himself.

The man took his hand with a moment's hesitation, "Dar—" he stopped, "…Darwin Poe. A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Kaiba," he shook Seto's hand weakly. "We're terribly sorry for arriving so late…the, uh…time difference and all was a bit confusing."

The young CEO raised an eyebrow as he took in the strange behavior but decided not to dwell on it. He also refrained from scoffing at the man's excuse.

"Well…now that you're here. I suppose we can finally start," he gestured to an available seat at his left. "As for your bodyguards," his eyes drifted towards the two imposing figures. "The meeting could go on for an hour or more, I could have someone escort them to the waiting lounge if you desire."

Something unreadable passed through Poe's eyes. "No, no…that's not necessary," he said as he seated himself, the bodyguards dutifully standing behind their employer's chair.

"Very well…" he sat down slowly. "So…" he said in a final tone, glad to have the delayed meeting moving at last. "You are here to invest in my company," he looked at Poe expectantly who nodded in response.

"Quite right, sir," Poe said, "Our enterprise is well-known for our specialty with visual effects. We are a few years ahead of other companies in terms of technology—"

"Is that so?" Seto interrupted. "That's surprising…," he looked at Poe before dropping his eyes to the open folder in front of him. "Your company…I've never heard about it before. I would've thought, that with your obvious success, we would've heard of you at least _once_. But as it is…" he trailed off before fixing Poe with a suspicious look, "You don't even have a company _name_," he said fluidly.

Poe appeared to struggle for a moment under the teenager's cold gaze before replying, "We're fairly new to the business. But that's not to say we are inexperienced with our line of work."

Seto narrowed his eyes. It strangely felt as if the man was hiding something, it did not take a genius to know that Poe was avoiding answering certain posed questions. "Be that as it may, I find no tangible evidence that could prove that you are worthy of my time."

"But sir," one of Seto's supervisors spoke up. "We've seen a sample of their work. It's very impressive, at par with our own holographic technologies."

A murmur of assent rang throughout the room, accompanied by a few nods as well. Poe looked relieved.

"Maybe it would be best if you show big brother a sample, too?" Mokuba spoke up for the first time.

"Of course, that's what we plan to do anyways," he regarded the boy for a moment before shifting his eyes back to Seto. "I prepared a small demonstration that could give you an overview of what…we are capable of doing. I am fully confident that you will find it highly satisfactory."

Seto scoffed, "That's for me to judge."

One of Poe's bodyguards handed his boss a suitcase. Poe took it and carefully placed it on the center of the table. With all eyes trained at Poe as he unclasped the suitcase and moved to open it, no one noticed the two bodyguards' hands disappear in their pockets.

Poe reached inside. He took out a long wooden rod which Seto immediately found familiar, a second later his eyes widened. That's when everything went wrong.

Seto only managed to grab Mokuba before his vision was assaulted by a myriad of blinding colors, the suitcase seemed to be the source of it. From all around him, shocked shouts rang out, accompanied by frantic struggling. He could make out blurs moving here and there, as well as frequent bursts of green lights.

"What the hell's going on?!!" he heard someone shout.

"Damn it! Someone call security!"

"Where's this all coming—"

"AAAARGH!"

"Quick! There should be no witnesses!" the voice, Seto recognized, was Poe's.

The worst possible thing happened when Seto felt Mokuba being pulled away from his arms.

"Big brother!" he heard Mokuba shout in panic, "BIG BROTHER!"

Seto groped blindly, the dread in his chest rising at towering levels, "Mokuba!"

A moment later, everything seemed to stop. Seto could hear no more shouting, no more struggling. Slowly, the blinding lights dimmed and Seto was greeted with a horrifying sight. Everyone was on the floor, not moving, there weren't any physical signs of harm on any of his men, not even a drop of blood. Just like those he lost in the attack at his mansion.

But what made his heart almost stop beating was the sight of Mokuba, imprisoned in the arms of one of Poe's bodyguards, the deadly wooden rod aimed at the young boy's head. Seto would've laughed if he didn't know what the seemingly harmless piece of bark could do. But he knew that this was just as deadly as a gun, maybe even worse.

The other bodyguard appeared to be checking to make sure all were down and accounted for. Poe walked towards Seto, the unusual weapon pointed at him. "Don't attempt to do anything, Seto Kaiba. You will not be able to escape."

Seto gritted his teeth. "What do you want? Didn't you find what you were looking for in the mansion?" he sneered.

Poe looked at him coolly, unperturbed. "This could turn very gruesome if you do not cooperate."

"What do you _want_?" Seto said again, darkly.

"Big brother!" Mokuba shouted, struggling against the arm trapping him fruitlessly. The man holding him wasn't pleased with being kicked and bitten by a bratty kid. "Shut up, kid. Don't tempt me into hurting you," he growled, jerking the boy hard and causing Mokuba to yelp.

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Seto snarled, moving as if to tackle the man holding his brother.

"Ah, ah, ah," Poe said teasingly waving a finger as he stepped in Seto's path. "Don't worry. Your brother won't be harmed, just do what I tell you and everything will be fine for the kid."

Seto barely stopped himself from trying to strangle the man in front of him. "Who are you?"

"Darcy, a muggle expert. The Dark Lord has given me the task of taking you to him," 'Poe', now Darcy, said. "Now…you will come with us. Whether peacefully or not, it's entirely up to you. So, What will it be?"

Seto only glared at the man and spat, "I am _not _going anywhere with you. Now let Mokuba go before I alert security. Or maybe you want another explosive building above your heads?"

Darcy reddened, and he turned to Mokuba in a flurry. The boy's eyes widened as did Seto's when Darcy aimed and shouted, "_Imperio!"_

Mokuba's previously widened eyes became half-lidded. His tense body visibly relaxed and the man holding him allowed him to slip away from his grasp. Seto felt almost relieved, he had expected Mokuba to drop down on the ground, unmarked yet lifeless like the others previous, but his heart stopped once more when his little brother moved towards the wide window.

One of the wand-wielding men shot the inch-thick glass with another burst of light and it cracked before crumbling into broken shards to the floor. A few grazed Mokuba's skin, but the boy didn't even blink, only stepping forward until his toes were pass the window's ledge.

"Mokuba! What are you doing?" Seto shouted, he started to run towards his brother when he heard Darcy say, "I wouldn't do that if you value your precious brother's life."

Seto stopped. "What did you do to him?" he demanded. He looked at Mokuba and shouted, "Mokuba, move away form the ledge, now!" but the boy didn't move an inch, it didn't even seem he had heard Seto's frantic shouts.

"Mokuba isn't really here right now," Darcy said casually. "But if you want him to come back, then I suggest you _cooperate _and turn yourself in. Because if you don't…" his eyes flickered to Mokuba's standing form, "your brother might just take a _leap _of faith."

He heard a few of the shattered glass shift around as Mokuba sat, his legs dangling childishly in the cool afternoon air. "Mokuba!" Seto tried again, trying for all in the world, not to get hysterical.

Answers were being demanded by his brain, and he couldn't keep up with them. How were they doing this? Was that Dumbledore guy telling the truth? What did they want? Money? Information? And this Dark Lord Darcy mentioned, what did he want him for? All these danced around his head, but they all paled in comparison to a single thought that remained strong despite everything; Mokuba. He had to protect Mokuba.

'But how can I be sure that they'd leave him alone?' Seto thought angrily. But he knew that either way, he didn't have a choice.

"Well?" Darcy prompted.

With a final look at his dear brother, Seto met Darcy's gaze, and spoke the two words he hated to say, "You win."

-----

Harry looked at Malik as the boy carefully placed the aged book on the desk. He still didn't really understand what he was supposed to do. The Egyptian barely said anything while he dragged Harry relentlessly in search of a deserted room. Malik was so set on their destination that Harry doubted he even noticed how Harry kept stumbling in an effort to match his pace, or even how Harry had asked him to loosen the iron-like grip he had on his arm.

"So…are you going to explain to me what we're actually about to do?" Harry asked when Malik finally turned to him.

Malik grinned at him. "Don't worry, Harry. You're just gonna have a little chat with a scaly—and a bit snappish—friend of ours. Nothing big, I assure you. Just speak snake, and I'm sure the rest will follow on due course…just make sure you don't get bitten because they're quite poisonous, and if you die, I'd lose my translator."

Harry raised an eyebrow at the Egyptian's casual and light-hearted tone, and said, "Alright…well…where are the snakes I'm suppose to talk with?"

He pointed at the book's cover. Harry peered at it and saw the artistically etched picture of a pair of snakes—cobras, he guessed—twined around an oddly familiar scepter. The green-eyed boy blinked and he turned to Malik, "Isn't that—"

"My Rod?" Malik completed his question, as he took out the said item and began twirling it expertly with his fingers. "Yes, it is. We found that book in the Restricted Section of the Library—me and Yugi. However, it seems that the past Kaiba was the same paranoid, security-obsessed bastard he is now," a frown marred Malik's previously grinning face, "We tried opening it, but it's protected by some sort of enchantment. Frankly, you wouldn't be able to open the damn thing without getting your hand bitten off, Yugi can attest to that."

When Harry didn't say anything when he paused, Malik continued, "I was…er, studying when an idea, uh…snuck up on me," he recalled his brief yet productive conversation with Myrtle. "So I thought, 'Hey, Harry can speak to snakes! Maybe he could speak to enchanted technically-not-alive ones as well'."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, unsure as how to react. "Uh…"

Malik heaved a sigh and gave the other boy a patient look. "Look, it's not like I'm asking you to do anything _difficult_. You just hiss or spit, or flick your tongue or whatever snakes do and everyone's happy."

"I don't flick my tongue…" Harry said lamely.

Malik only waved him off, "That's beside the point. Come on…," he looked at Harry pleadingly, though he didn't really managed to grasp the expression as well as, say, Yugi or Ryou could.

"So…I just start talking with them? What am I suppose to say?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Well…" Malik looked unsure himself, "I don't really know…how about we just open the book and see what happens? Maybe all you'd have to say is 'open' and it will be all done," he shrugged before giving Harry a hard look. "The point is we have to get started. So, can we? _Please_?"

Giving a small sigh, Harry nodded his consent before approaching the desk where the topic of their discussion lay. "Alright, then…what now?"

Malik gave him a grateful smile before raising the Millennium Rod. He gave him a questioning and slightly worried glance and Malik said, "Safety precautions. No worries," he then placed the side of one of the two blade-like wings protruding out of the item's head under the cover. "Now, when I flip this open, the snakes you see there—" he jerked his head at the cobras "—are gonna spring to life alright? I guess you should start by asking them not to attack, since that's what they do every time the book's opened," when Harry's eyes widened, Malik hastily added, "But don't worry about getting bitten, I'll keep them busy with the rod."

Harry prepared himself. The last time he spoke to a snake was around three years ago (said snake almost succeeding in killing him by lodging a knife-sized fang on his arm), so it was understandable that he wasn't really fond of magical snakes of any form. Even though these cobras were very different from the basilisk he fought with before, he couldn't help but find talking to the slithering reptiles rather uncomfortable. The friendliest chat he had with a snake was way back, shortly before he started attending Hogwarts. Yeah, that boa constrictor wasn't so bad.

"Oi, you ready, Harry?" Malik prompted, jerking said boy away from his thoughts.

A nod was all he needed, and Malik flipped the cover.

Harry couldn't help but let out a yelp of surprise as one of the previously inanimate snakes literally burst into life. Hood flared out, and mouth opened wide, giving a perfect view of inch-long fangs, Harry barely stopped himself from leaping back in shock. The snake hissed and looked like it was about to strike when Malik effectively trapped it by pushing it down with the Millennium Rod.

Harry was about to let out a sigh of relief when the other snake sprang into life as well. Without thinking, he yelled, "_Stop!_"

To both Malik and Harry's surprise, the snake relaxed, and settled into a coiled position on the book. The snake Malik was restraining appeared to have calmed down as well, it wasn't hissing and spitting like before. In fact, Harry observed, the snakes' slitted pupils adapted an almost human-like look, and something flashed in the yellowish lidless eyes, something that was totally _un_-snake-like; intelligence.

The free snake raised its head curiously and regarded Harry with what may have been a questioning look, _"Hmm…you ssspeak our tongue, boy?"_ it asked, tail flicking in curiosity.

It took him a moment to answer, "_Y-Yes…I do_."

"_Ssso _finally _sssomeone hasss come upon our master's book," _the second snake said. _"Now…could you asssk your friend here to ssstop crushing me?_" Harry could sense mild irritation present in its voice.

"_I…uh, okay sure," _he said, before turning to Malik, who was looking at him with wide eyes. _"Err…it said you could let go now."_

Malik merely blinked at him. "What?" All he heard from Harry was a series of short hisses that he didn't even thought would be possible to make with a human tongue. 'This snake-talking stuff is creepy,' he decided.

"You can let it go now," Harry tried again, hoping he was using the right language this time. Thankfully, Malik seemed to understand him and relinquished his pressure on the Millennium Rod. The now-freed reptile slithered beside its companion. Malik could have sworn it gave him a huffy glance before turning to look at Harry.

"_Ssso…you ssseek the secretsss of our master?" _the serpent raised its head to level with Harry's. _"And what makesss you think that you are _worthy _enough to lay your mortal eyesss upon the High Priest of Egypt's writingsss?"_

"What is it saying, Harry?" Malik asked. The snakes looked docile now, so he judged it safe to come closer.

"Uh…" Harry started unsurely, a little unnerved by the snake's greeting. "It's kinda asking us if we're worthy enough to read the book, I think…"

Malik looked at the snake Harry was speaking to. "Tell me what the said, word by word."

"Umm, okay…" Harry said, then he began quoting the snake's words. When he was done, Malik nodded to himself. Well, he didn't expect opening the book was going to be as easy as a trip to the park. It wouldn't surprise him if they needed to achieve certain qualifications before opening the book. They seemed to have pegged one down now; the speaking to snakes bit. But after that, then what? Maybe they could ask the snake guardians. It wouldn't hurt to try.

"Ask them what we need to open the book," Malik finally said.

Harry did just that, and this time it was the second snake that answered. _"Our master guards hisss secretsss well. He hasss made sssure that only those he would have found acceptable would be able to unlock hisss book."_

The other snake began to speak as well, _"And you…" _it gave Harry a calculating stare that unnerved the boy, _"You speak to usss in our language, just asss our master did. But, that isss all. You should make sure to tread wisely, lest you trigger the book's enchantmentsss."_

"_A few words of warning, mortalsss. Many have perished by our poison—all of them unworthy to open the book we guard."_

Malik's brow furrowed when Harry gulped audibly before turning to him and translating. He narrowed his eyes at the pair of reptiles. "Can't they give us a straight answer?" he said irritably, not at all intimidated by the snakes' warnings like Harry. Their poison didn't manage to kill Yugi, so a quick trip to the hospital wing could solve their problems should any of the snakes decided to get hostile. He looked at them straight in the eye, "_How _do we open the book?"

Harry was about to translate Malik's words to parseltongue when one of the serpents answered, _"You are an impatient one, tomb guardian. Not an ideal quality for those in your position."_

"What did it say?" Malik asked, seeing the snake hissing calmly at him.

"Err…" Harry hesitated before speaking, quite sure that Malik wouldn't react so well with a pair of animals reprimanding his behavior. This was proven true when Malik glared at the snake that addressed him afterwards, "I'm sorely tempted to find out if the Millennium Rod works on animals."

It became apparent to Harry that the snakes could understand Malik when they reacted to the Egyptian's threat, yet not in the way he predicted.

"_A guardian, a holder of an Item? This is unexpected—you command our master's power. And yet, you could not speak to us without your companion."_

Malik didn't need Harry's help in translating when he saw how the snakes' attention turned to the Millennium Item clasped firmly in is hand, only now noticing it. He raised his arm and brought it closer to their line of sight. "Yes, the rod belongs to me now. Which is why we seek the knowledge of its former owner. So _tell _us, what do we need to do to open the book?"

The snakes observed him for a moment, as if measuring him up. And then they finally answered, _"Our master has placed only two locksss to protect his book. You have already broken through one. You only need to do one other…"_

"_Our creator isss the sole parselmouth of Egypt, and he hasss done well to take thisss into fact by making sure only those who speak our tongue could lay their eyesss on hisss writing."_

"_He isss also one of the mere seven individuals to command a Millennium Item."_

"_Putting those two qualifications together has proven to be very effective in making sure that only he can gain access to his well-kept secretsss…" _the snake eyed Malik and Harry carefully, _"but we judge that we can trust you with our master's knowledge and wisdom, for you already have everything that is needed to lift the spell keeping the book closed."_

"_A serpent's tongue…" _the first snake said.

"_And a priest's mark of power,"_ the second one finished.

Harry had a bit of trouble taking in the long speech the two cobras took turns in saying. However, he knew that Malik needed to know only the last two sentences that they said. "A serpent's tongue, and a priest's mark of power," he relayed. "I'm guessing that 'a serpent's tongue' means a parselmouth, but I don't know about the other one. They said we already have both of them though."

Malik's eyes widened in comprehension. 'A priest's mark of power'…that was, without a doubt, a Millennium Item. As a tomb keeper, he had studied about the Item's original owners. Each Millennium Item was assigned to one of the pharaoh's most trusted priests, with the puzzle for the monarch himself. 'So that means…' Malik glanced down at the rod.

"Alright, I think I get it," he said. Malik raised the item towards the snakes, the Egyptian eye beginning to glow. He looked at Harry, "I need to use the rod while you speak. Try talking to them again."

Harry turned to the snakes. He was just about to start speaking when they heard the door open. The two boys' eyes snapped towards it, eyes widening.

Dumbledore walked in, a very serious and somber expression on his kind face. Neither Harry nor Malik noticed that the snakes they were speaking to had retreated in the book once more, both too overcomed by shock at the headmaster's sudden appearance. Malik quickly shoved the Millennium Rod back into his pocket.

"P-Professor!" Harry blurted out his surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Dumbledore looked at him calmly, his gaze traveled from Harry, to Malik, and finally, to the book. Malik bit his lip, was Dumbledore here to stop them from unlocking the priest's book? Or maybe this had something to do with him using the rod. He, along with Yugi and Ryou, had promised that they wouldn't use any form of Millennium magic, maybe he had gone against this by using it now.

'This is bad…' he thought blandly.

Dumbledore gave Harry an apologetic look, "I'm sorry for intruding upon you and Mr. Ishtal, Harry. You should turn in for the night. Mr. Ishtal and I have something that we need to discuss…"

Harry looked at the old man curiously for a moment before carefully grabbing his book bag and, after one last look in Malik's direction, disappeared out the door, but not without questions running rampant in his mind.

Malik watched wordlessly as Harry walked out. He looked at Dumbledore's eyes once his friend was gone. Immediately, he tried to explain what they were doing. "Professor, I wasn't doing anything with the rod—we were only trying to unlock a book we found. You said we could try and find information about the Millennium Items, and—"

He stopped when Dumbledore waved his blabbering off calmly. "Do not worry, Mr. Ishtal. This is not about your experiment…"

"It isn't?" Malik blinked. "Then…what?"

The look Dumbledore gave him caused a feeling of dread to race up his spine. "I'm afraid we have some distressing news," he said slowly, "It's about Mr. Kaiba."

"Kaiba?" he echoed, not understanding at all. "What are you talking about, professor?"

"I will explain everything in my office. Mr. Mutou and Mr. Bakura are already there…along with a guest that I think you all might be familiar with…"

---------

**Err…three guesses as to who the 'guest' is?**

**Yeah, I know, a cliffy. But it was the best part to end the chapter. And frankly, I couldn't go on (dies). **


	44. Prelude to Disaster

**Yeah, VERY late I know, so no need to tell me.**

**At least be grateful that I managed to finish this chapter THIS year :D Hehe, just kidding— Put those knives away!**

**So…(cough) how's it going?**

**Anyways…you'll find out who "the guest" is in this chapter, as well as a brief tidbit on Seto. Things are taking a turn for the worse, this chapter won't be as light as the previous one, I'm afraid. But it's not SO dark that you're gonna slit your wrists or something (leave that to the mountains of angst/abuse fics out there, you know you have that guilty pleasure of reading them :D)**

**I'd really love to answer your reviews personally, but I can't really think of a way since the story's in White Angel's account and all, and since it's against the site's rules to reply to reviews in the author notes. But if some of you could think of something, then by all means, share em' with me!**

**This way, you could pester me to update even more! And to avoid feeling guilty about leaving you guys hanging by a thread in some dark abyss (like in the last chapter -.-), I'd be forced to write faster (well kinda, maybe…I think…ahem). Otherwise you'll only be left wondering whether I'd disappeared off the face of the earth, like in the last five months!**

**Hee, well, we'll talk more at the end of this chapter. So read on you greedy greedy little readers.**

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Chapter 43:

Prelude to Disaster

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Yami Bakura could feel Ryou fighting down the anxiety building in his chest, but it only grew and grew as they neared the headmaster's office. Professor McGonagall's brisk pace, which they matched with a bit of difficulty, made it so that it barely took ten minutes for them to arrive at the familiar gargoyle that guarded the entrance.

Ryou chanced a nervous glance at Yugi, but the smaller boy looked as lost and confused as himself. They barely knew what was going on, McGonagall had unexpectedly dropped by the common room, without any explanation except a vague, "Professor Dumbledore needs to see you." The grim expression on her face was evidence enough about the seriousness of the situation. Even Yami Bakura, who would've normally demanded some answers immediately, restrained himself. This fact only made Ryou worry even more.

The sound of stone grinding against stone snapped him out of his stressed thoughts. The staircase behind the statue spiraled upwards and McGonagall gestured them forward. They obediently complied, palms sweating and minds flitting through possible scenarios that would meet their eyes the moment they opened the office's door.

Yugi bit his lip. McGonagall looked awfully worried and upset (even now, the deputy head mistress had her lips pressed together in a thin line), and he was sure that whatever Dumbledore's going to say to them could not possibly be good news. A thought flashed across his mind. Yami glimpsed upon this and spoke before Yugi could voice out his sudden revelation.

//Don't assume the worst. Besides, Dumbledore assured us that he'd be protected// Yami said in a soothing voice.

//But what if…Grandpa—you know he wouldn't stand a chance if those Death Eaters ever—//

"Come on, Mr. Mutou," McGonagall's voice broke through their conversation. Yugi blinked and realized that she was holding the door open for him, Ryou had already stepped inside. Taking a deep controlled breath, he walked forward. The first thing he registered when he entered the room was Snape. The potions master stood stiffly just beside the headmaster's desk, he had a very sour look on his face that clearly said that he wouldn't be here if he had the choice.

//What's he doing here?//

Ryou was surprised by Yami Bakura's sudden question and only managed to reply//I don't know…//

Strange enough, McGonagall seemed a bit surprised to see Snape as well. "Severus, didn't Albus ask you to fetch Mr. Ishtal?"

"He did. Unfortunately, Mr. Ishtal decided to take a late-night stroll. The headmaster offered to find him himself instead, whilst I…" the corner of his lips twisted, "watched over our little guest."

'Guest…?' both Ryou and Yugi repeated vaguely in their minds.

Before Yugi can voice out a question, he suddenly found himself tackled and enveloped by a very tight hug. Yami, as a sort of reflex action, took over immediately. Switching minds mid-fall disconcerted him for a moment, and it took a few long seconds for him to have a proper look at the fluff of long dark hair that was currently latched onto his mid-section.

The pharaoh blinked, hardly believing what, or rather _who_, he was seeing.

"_Mokuba_?" he managed to choke out in disbelief.

Indeed, it was the younger Kaiba that had desperately glued his arms around his waist. The boy looked tired and worse of wear, scratches littered Mokuba's skin and his mop of a hair was messy and uncombed. But what struck Yami most was that he was _crying_.

The poor boy sobbed freely, not even trying to quiet down his anguished cries. Yami did not know what to do, he still couldn't process the fact that the brother of his arch-rival was here, _here _in Hogwarts. Does this mean Seto was around here as well? He gave the office a brief glance-over to check.

No. No Seto Kaiba at all.

Though Yami was personally glad that Seto was absent (the last thing he wanted was for the aloof CEO to stay here in Hogwarts), he couldn't shake off the feeling of worry. It was common knowledge to all that Seto valued his brother's safety and well-being above all else, and so Yami had to wonder how he could leave his brother like this; in the hands of total strangers, when the boy just looked about ready to fall into pieces. Add the fact that Seto simply _despised _anything magic-related and would've shot the wizards on sight rather than strike a conversation with them made him even more suspicious.

"Oh…Yugi, Yugi, Yugi…Big Brother…he's…he's…" Yami heard Mokuba sob pathetically, the boy couldn't even finish his sentence successfully. "You're here! I…I didn't believe them. But here you are!"

Yami placed a hand comfortingly on top of Mokuba's head. The boy responded by tightening his hold around him even more, still sobbing, "You're here, you're here…"

//Yugi…// he said tentatively in his mind.

Understanding the unspoken request at once, Yugi took over. Try as he might, Yami knew little of comforting people, he would leave this in Yugi's able hands.

"Shhh…hey, it's alright, Mokuba. Calm down, I'm not going anywhere," Yugi said softly. They were in an awkward position, and Yugi had to admit the fact that Mokuba was nearly crushing him with the force of his embrace. Not to mention that he wasn't faring well with the only slightly shorter boy crushing him to the ground.

Ryou, just overcoming his shock, carefully moved forward. He kept his movements slow, fearing that Mokuba might erupt in hysterics once more. Gently, he gripped the small child's arm, "Come on, let's get you off the floor, alright?"

Mokuba looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, he seemed to hesitate for a moment before slowly loosening his grip, allowing himself to be hoisted upright by the white-haired boy. With Mokuba off him, Yugi clumsily got back on his feet.

//What's going on, Yami? Why's Mokuba here?// Yugi said worriedly//And where's Kaiba?//

The pharaoh remained silent, no more knowledgeable to answer the question than Yugi himself.

Snape and McGonagall were quietly conversing with each other, their voices low and serious. Ryou had successfully calmed Mokuba down enough to reduce the boy's previously hysterical sobs into sniffles and small whimpers. He had a tight grip on Ryou's hand, refusing to let go.

Yami Bakura regarded Mokuba with slight distaste. Ryou could almost visualize his other self's wrinkled nose when he said//The kid's awfully clingy, huh?//

He pursed his lips. //Oh, hush, he's obviously been through something terrible. Give him a break// he said in a disapproving tone.

The tomb robber gave a "Hmph!" in response. //Well, I'm through waiting for answers. I've remained silent long enough, I think…Move over, Ryou// and before his other self could protest, Yami Bakura had taken control of their body. Ryou sighed in exasperation. He knew that Yami Bakura's compliant silence could only last for so long.

Yugi noticed the change in his friend's demeanor and unconsciously bit his lip at seeing Yami Bakura's irritated expression. Mokuba seemed to have noticed the change too, the boy had let go of Ryou's hand as if electrocuted. His dark gray eyes widened in shock and he involuntarily moved away from the vexed-looking tomb robber.

Yami Bakura glanced briefly at the direction of the frightened boy before turning to Snape and McGonagall. Both professors did not seem at all surprised at his sudden appearance, and barely reacted when he demanded loudly, "What's the kid doing here? I'm pretty sure Kaiba didn't ask you to babysit his little brother."

Snape remained silent, stoically positioned as usual. But McGonagall gave him a look of impatience, "Please, Mr. Bakura, we know little more than you…everything should be explained when Professor Dumbledore arrives with Mr. Ishtal."

But Yami Bakura wasn't in a considerate mood. "Well," he said darkly, "I guess I can't expect the old man's lackeys to know anything about this whole fiasco."

Both McGonagall and Snape's eyes darkened dangerously. Snape looked particularly furious, Yugi cringed at the cold tone of his voice as he spoke. "A pity indeed that Hogwarts has abandoned its more medieval detention methods, otherwise they should be enough to teach you proper respect. Thick-headed students are always the most difficult to discipline."

Ryou groaned when he felt the unmistakable fury tremble through the link he shared with his other self. //Just let it go, Yami…please, we're already on his bad side as it is. Don't make it worse…// he kept his tone reasonable and even, but couldn't help the desperate and tired tone at the end.

He fully expected the dark spirit to snap at him, but to his surprise, Yami Bakura actually entertained his request, closing his mouth just as he was about to bite Snape back with his own cutting remark . A wave of irritation came from the darker Bakura's link, but nothing more. Yugi noticed that Yami Bakura didn't appear too happy about being reprimanded, but he uncharacteristically kept this to himself.

He was just about to question his other self about his strange behavior, when their long-awaited host finally arrived.

"Ah, splendid, you're all here!" Dumbledore said lightly, a small smile on his face. His sudden appearance surprised everyone. Even Yami Bakura briefly wondered how the old man managed to sneak in the room without anyone's knowledge. "My apologies for taking too long," he looked at the still-confused looking Malik beside him. "Come on, Mr. Ishtal. Take a seat," he made a fluid gesture with his wand, conjuring three comfortable-looking chairs in succession. "You two as well," he said to Yugi and Yami Bakura.

Yugi tentatively took his seat. Yami Bakura on the other hand crashed down his own seat without preamble. Malik looked completely lost, even more so than Yugi and Ryou before, though he could tell by now that this wasn't their standard visitations to the office. He gathered this from the strangely familiar black-haired boy just beside Yugi. He regarded the boy for a long moment before realization struck.

"Hey, you're Kaiba's little brother!" Malik exclaimed, making Yugi jump and Yami Bakura wince involuntarily. Mokuba looked warily at the Egyptian. Malik turned to look at Dumbledore who had settled himself behind his desk, "_He's_ the one you were talking about? I thought you were talking about _Seto _Kaiba."

At the mention of his brother's name, a new wave of tears dripped down Mokuba's cheeks. Malik noticed this and quieted himself. His brow furrowed as Yugi moved to comfort the young boy, not at all understanding why the younger Kaiba was here, and crying his little heart out, too.

"What…" he said, "What's going on?"

"Yes, now that we're all here, you have no excuse to leave our questions unanswered," Yami Bakura added firmly.

"Very well…" the headmaster relented. Seeing his request was to be granted, Yami Bakura made his exit, giving control to Ryou once more. Though he knew that the others were somehow used to this kind of behavior from his dark, Ryou gave them (especially the professors) an apologetic look.

Dumbledore's expression became grave, completely unlike his demeanor when he first entered the office with Malik.

"First of all, I apologize for herding you all up here at such a late hour. But as I promised to you before, I will share to you all developments related to your Items on our part."

Yugi, Ryou, and Malik kept quiet.

"It is as we have feared…" he started, all the boys hanging unto his every word, "The Death Eaters are on the move. We of the Order have noticed how they seemed to be growing bolder and bolder as time progressed. As you may know, they have already attacked Ms. Ishtal's museum, and Mr. Kaiba's mansion before…"

Malik's blood ran cold, and so did Yugi's. Yami Bakura and Yami listened with their hosts, both silent as graves. Ryou fought a sudden wave of nausea in his gut.

Yugi looked at Mokuba. Was this the reason why the young boy was here? Protection? But if so, where was Seto? Unless…

"They launched an ambush with the intention of capturing Mr. Kaiba yesterday…we acted too late, by the time we managed to arrive on the scene, they were gone," Dumbledore pulled out a rolled up newspaper from his robe pocket, a brief glance told Yugi it was written in Japanese. With a swift flick from his wand, Dumbledore laid the paper flat on the desk. The headlines caught their attention immediately. Dumbledore, it seemed, had translated it to English, for the benefit of Yugi who couldn't understand Japanese due to the language charm.

_**KAIBA CORP ATTACKED. TWELVE DEAD. KAIBA BROTHERS MISSING.**_

Beneath the thick printed letters was a black and white picture. It showed a chilling scene. The conference room was swarmed with investigators and police men, on the floor were what seemed to white sheets covering haphazardly-positioned prone figures. They didn't need to read the actual news article to know what lay under those bleached sheets.

"It is without a doubt that Mr. Kaiba is in Voldemort's custody," Dumbledore continued as they stared at the shocking news story he presented to them. "We are not certain why Voldemort has decided to pursue Mr. Kaiba, when you said so yourselves that he possesses no Millennium Item, and unfortunately, we have few possible ideas…" his kind eyes then strayed towards Mokuba's shaking figure. "We found Mokuba Kaiba alone and proceeded to take him away before the Muggles could arrive. We could not risk the chance that the Death Eaters should return to finish their massacre, it is quite rare for them to leave their victims alive."

A concerned look overtook Dumbledore's features. "Due to these new developments, we've been debating whether to have all your family members pulled out and brought under the Order's direct care."

He then paused, giving the boys a moment to digest the news.

Ryou was wide-eyed, completely aghast, he could not even force himself to speak a word, the dread that had been growing inside him becoming even more pronounced. Meanwhile, Yami Bakura was more angry than shocked.

He could feel Ryou trembling and see his other's hands shaking ever so slightly, at the end of Dumbledore's explanation. This was causing the boy even more grief, unnecessary stress, in Yami Bakura's opinion. And he'd been trying so hard to keep Ryou from feeling such negative emotions as of late.

What Dumbledore has told them proved the fact that it was the magical folk that needed them, not the other way around. The protection Dumbledore promised for Yugi's grandfather and Malik's siblings looked less trustworthy now, considering that Seto was abducted so easily.

Ryou suddenly felt Yami Bakura taking his place. It was quite different from the usual way his dark side assumed control, gentler somehow. He even heard the other mutter softly//I'll handle this for now, Ryou…// Slightly, bemused, Ryou allowed him to do so. He retreated into his mind, and almost at once felt better, as if a great weight was lifted from his chest.

When Yami Bakura materialized in the outside world, however, his eyes glared fiercely and his lips were drawn in a mocking smirk.

"Well…I guess I can see just how _protected _we are under your care," he said with venom.

"Bakura!" Yami hissed sharply, having taken control as well. He too was upset by this turn of events, but there was no reason to make matters worse. There was no need to revive old issues with the wizards again.

Yami Bakura looked at him skeptically, but not without a hint of contempt, "Don't tell me you don't feel the same way I do, pharaoh," he said lowly. Then he turned back to Dumbledore, giving Yami no chance to reply, and said "My host trusted your judgment, and I did too, though grudgingly. But it isn't at all comforting to see just how _well_ you manage to defend yourselves from these—"

"We fend well enough, I think, considering our position," Snape remarked coldly.

Yami Bakura only snorted, "Your position?"

"It hasn't exactly been easy, Mr. Bakura, to keep the Order secret from the Ministry and at the same time protect those connected to the Millennium Items."

"Well, that just shows the level of competency this order of yours has," he looked at Dumbledore, "As well as _yours_, old man."

"Mr. Bakura!" McGonagall exclaimed, "Professor Dumbledore has been the one personally keeping your host's father safe, as well as Mr. Ishtal and Mr. Mutou's relatives. Your ungrateful attitude will help none at al—"

"_Personally_ you say?" Yami Bakura cut in coolly. "Then if that's the case; he's to blame for Kaiba's capture, am I right?" his tone was mocking.

Both Snape and McGonagall looked livid, as opposed to Dumbledore who merely looked at the tomb robber with a kind understanding gaze. Yami didn't know just how much patience the headmaster has, withstanding Yami Bakura's none-too-subtle insults with a calm air that amazed both himself and Yugi, but he needed to dampen the other dark's anger fast. For though Dumbledore looked unaffected by Yami Bakura's outbursts, Snape and McGonagall looked ready to banish him to another realm. He wondered about whatever drove the two to protect Dumbledore, even with something small as Yami Bakura questioning his abilities.

"Tomb robber," he said firmly, voice clear and carefully even. Yami Bakura flashed him a look. "Calm yourself. What's done is done. Blaming the professor _won't _change things…you know that. At the very least, we should be grateful they managed to arrive in time for Mokuba."

Yami Bakura gave him a dismissive snort. "I do not care for the brat," he said loftily. "What _I _care about is what Kaiba's capture will do to us. He may not have a Millennium Item, pharaoh, but he _knows _we have them. Think; Where will those dark wizards go next after they manage to extract information from your high priest?"

"They'll go after us. I know that—"

"Not immediately," Yami Bakura corrected him, "They don't know where we are…so they'll go back to Domino. And _who _do you think will they target then?"

Yami paused, and inside his mind, he heard Yugi voice a shocked whisper. //Grandpa…Jounouchi and the others…// Everyone who knows even a sliver of information about the Millennium Items was at risk.

Seeing the look of realization dawn in the other's eyes, Yami Bakura allowed himself a smug yet bitter smirk. "_Now_ you see. In fact, _you _should be more angered than I…seeing that it's your friends who are in the frontlines."

Ryou was struck dumb by this revelation. Though Yami Bakura clearly expressed his disassociation with Yugi's gang, this did not extend to Ryou. He too, cared about these people. Jounouchi, Honda, and Anzu's faces flashed momentarily in his mind and it pained him greatly to think that they too will be pulled into this hole of chaos the Millennium Items had once more succeeded in conjuring. Even his father, Ryou thought, was not perfectly safe.

Again, the Millennium Items brought trouble more than they were worth.

"You promised protection," Yami Bakura said scathingly to Dumbledore, "But you ended up failing and endangering us even more."

"Professor Dumbledore is not the sole person to blame, Mr. Bakura, if he's to be blamed at all," McGonagall defended at once. The usually calm and collected Transfiguration teacher was red-faced, so downright furious that her frame shook as she spoke. The nerve Yami Bakura had to speak of her superior in such a disrespectful way. Nevermind that he claimed to be over three thousand years old - the boy was acting like any teenager; impulsive and hot-headed. "Take a page from Mr. Ishtal and Mr. Mutou's book and stop jumping to immature and irrational conclusions!"

Ryou immediately felt a tower of anger rise up inside his other self. But before he could do anything, Yami Bakura had exploded.

The ring glowed prominently on his chest, and it was taking every drop of patience that remained in him not to set the shadows loose and feast on the witch's soul.

//Y-Yami! What are you doing?!// he vaguely acknowledged Ryou shout in his mind.

He tuned out Ryou's pleas as he focused on McGonagall. "I am never the one to jump to conclusions, _witch,_" he said the last word with the tone of an insult, "I am merely taking into account cold hard facts that you fools seem to be too afraid to accept. _You_ blind yourselves deliberately from the truth. _You _make promises when you clearly don't have the ability to keep them. And yet you judge _me_?"

It made him furious to have his conclusions be deigned irrational, when all the facts were so blatantly clear. If McGonagall could not see any fault in Dumbledore, then it was because she didn't want to. Not to mention that she had the gall to compare him to the pharaoh; that just added fuel to the fire.

"We were better off alone!" He screeched, "You underestimate how well _we _can defend ourselves. Do you realize, woman, how _easily _I can kill you…in this very moment?"

McGonagall, despite herself, remained calm, not even reacting to the obvious threat.

A sadistic smile spread on Yami Bakura's lips. And in an even more sinister voice he said, "Do you know…how easily I can devour your souls? How it will take me no more effort than lifting a finger, to smite this entire castle, and leave your _precious _students nothing more than lifeless husks?"

This time, Dumbledore rose up abruptly from his seat, a warning look was in his eyes as he said, "Threatening our students is unneeded, Mr. Bakura. I am willing to accept the truth in what you are saying…but bringing innocent lives—"

His eyes almost appeared red as he shouted, "_Innocent _lives?! You adamantly refuse to involve your students, when you yourselves forced us to become entangled with your feud with this Lord Voldemort you keep yapping about!" the Millennium Ring became even brighter, as if reflecting on the rising intensity of Yami Bakura's fury. "I do not claim innocence, but my host, even Yugi, and Malik—they were living just fine before you decided to invite them into your school!"

"We are trying to protect—"

"NO! You are not trying to protect us! Even if you are, you're doing one hell of a crappy job. They got Kaiba, pretty soon it will be my host's father, Yugi's grandfather, and then it will be the Ishtars—Isis and Rishid—"

Yami was unable to do anything as Yami Bakura just let it all out. Part of it was that he didn't know how to stop the rampaging tomb robber, but another part was acknowledging the truth in the other's words. Dumbledore was still eerily calm, and Snape and McGonagall were as stiff as pillars as they braved the onslaught of words Yami Bakura was shouting at their headmaster. Mokuba only watched with wide frightened eyes, Yami knew that the only thing preventing the boy from crying was the shock inflicted by Yami Bakura's words. Yugi was silent inside him, merely watching the scene unfold as he did. And Malik…

Malik had his head bowed, his hands clenched tightly at the edge of his seat. The blonde's frame was shaking.

He didn't know why, but Malik felt himself get worse and worse as Yami Bakura ranted on. He was wondering why the tomb robber seemed awfully vehement as he shouted just how bad their situation just became. Personally, Malik thought that the other knew something, something far worse than what he let on.

And then he heard Yami Bakura mention Isis and Rishid, and it was as if something stirred inside him ever-so-slightly. In that moment, the fact that his siblings were in danger seemed to be forcibly _pushed _into his mind. The anxiety and fear he felt went on overdrive, Malik almost felt as if he was about to throw up. He gripped the edge of his seat, barely managing to stay upright as waves of nausea mercilessly assaulted him again and again.

Yami Bakura was still speaking, his words washing over him, "They will stand no chance—the reincarnated priestess is powerless without the Tauk—"

_Isis_. Those Death Eaters…what would they do to her…? Malik knew that his sister would never willingly expose the secrets they've kept for over three thousand years now, Isis was too loyal to the pharaoh. She'd rather die than betray Yami…

'She'd rather die than put me in danger once again…'

And Rishid. His loyalty to Malik, even after Battle City, had no equal. He was willing to sacrifice his own life to save Malik from his other personality, this remained unchanged even now.

'And whose fault will it be, should they be captured, tortured, _killed _by Voldemort?…_Your _fault…' the words rang in his head, the accusing voice his very own, only harsher and more sinister.

Sweat started forming on his forehead. Malik felt a headache forming steadily. 'Ugh…am I sick or something?' he brought a hand to cradle his head. 'This…this almost feels like—'

"Malik! You idiot, what are you doing?!" the voice broke through his thoughts, and though it was obviously angry and panicked, hearing it somehow seemed to ward of his sickly feelings at a moment's notice.

Malik blinked, and was surprised to realize that he'd been gripping the sides of his head so hard his nails left bloody crescent marks on his skin. Small rivers of blood dripped down his temples. He looked at the reddish tips of his fingers. "What…I'm bleeding…"

Someone was shaking him very hard. "Oy! Malik! Snap out of it!"

His strangely blurred vision tried to focus on a white blob that was in front of him. Slowly, the image sharpened and Malik discovered the blob to be Yami Bakura. The tomb robber had a panicked look in his eyes and his hands were tight around Malik's arms as he shook the boy out of his stupor.

Yami was standing just behind the tomb robber, looking worried. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall were also staring at him, though they looked more curious than worried. "W-What are you staring at?" he said, surprising himself at the slight slurring of his words.

"It looked like you were having some sort of …" Yami trailed off. "It looked like you were in pain," he said instead.

Malik shrugged off Yami Bakura's hands smoothly. "I'm fine! Minor headache, nothing more…too many things to think about, you know," he said casually. "And Bakura here was screaming his head off," he looked pointedly at the white-haired boy. The remark wasn't accusatory, more of teasing. And so Malik was puzzled when Yami Bakura only remained quiet, not even throwing back one of his usual sarcastic remarks.

The look Yami Bakura was giving him was unreadable, and before Malik could discern any more, the spirit turned away.

"We're done here," the tomb robber said rather abruptly. He stood up and gave Dumbledore one last long look, "If you are as wise as these people seem to believe, then you'd heed my warning…"

"Mr. Bakura..."

"Do what you want," he said, "Just don't place the blame on me should the situation get worse."

Dumbledore gave him a weary look but relented, "Very well, if you are convinced that you are right…"

Yami Bakura's eyes flashed, "I _know _I'm right."

"Then…we'll act immediately," he looked at Yami, "We will contact the Japanese Minister directly, inform them of the less-secretive parts of our situation, and they'd be able to take your grandfather under their wing. I will insure that his protection will be beyond mere spells and charms, I'm sure the Japanese Ministry can afford a few of their aurors to watch over the elder Mr. Mutou."

Yugi knew that this was not a hundred percent assurance that his grandfather will be spared of all harm, but he was still thankful. Even though Yami Bakura was thoroughly convinced that Dumbledore and the others were only protecting them for their own gain, Yugi could just feel that the old man's kindness and concern was genuine.

"Thank you…" Yami spoke for his host.

Dumbledore nodded before turning to Malik. "As for your sister and brother…they are at the middle of their stay in the United States. The E.A.M.U is still dutifully carrying out my orders from before, and will continue to do so until we're sure that we've eliminated the threat. In addition, I will personally ask a previous student of mine to accompany your siblings…he has already been in-contact with your sister, so I'm fairly sure it would be no problem for him."

"I…That would be…good," Malik said wryly, not knowing what else to say.

"Mokuba will be staying in the castle. Finding sleeping quarters will be no problem and I'm sure it would be better for him to be close to people he's familiar with," he gave the small boy a kind glance.

"We'll visit you whenever we can, Mokuba. As soon as tomorrow, if you'd like," Yami said gently. Mokuba responded with a watery smile.

"Your host's father is in Egypt, and like with Mr. Ishtal's family, I have the E.A.M.U. watching over him," he said as he looked at Yami Bakura. The tomb robber grunted but said nothing more.

"In addition, I will make it a habit to check up on them personally at least once a week, set up and fortify my own protective charms, and if you want, give you a detailed report of my visit."

Malik and Yami were quite impressed by the headmaster's thoroughness. Yami Bakura, however, was unconvinced. "You do that," he said.

"So I shall," Dumbledore said meekly, "I only ask…Mr. Bakura, for you not to judge me as quickly as you do. We are allies in this battle, not enemies…unless you believe in the latter, and therefore force us to be so…"

---

Yami Bakura watched Malik walk with Snape until the two disappeared around the corner, headed for the Slytherin dungeons. He breathed deeply and exhaled, as if trying to expel his stress out of his body. What had happened back there?

One second, he was shouting at Dumbledore's face, and then the next thing he knew, Yami was shouting at _him_, yelling something about Malik. Yami Bakura almost felt his heart stop dead when he turned around, about to yell back at the pharaoh, when he spotted the blonde Egyptian clutching his head. It looked like Malik was having some sort of internal battle, the way he was hunched over, as if struggling to keep _something_ under control.

He had assumed the worst. And by the way Yami looked, the pharaoh was thinking the same thing as well.

It barely took him five seconds to rush to Malik's side and attempt to literally shake the boy out of his seizure. At first, the other boy's features only seemed to contort more in pain, and Yami Bakura thought that this was it; the disaster the tarot cards were foretelling.

And then Malik stopped shaking, his hands relaxed at the sides of his head. Slowly, he looked up, giving the others a glimpse of his sweat-drenched face. Malik's eyes were unfocused. For a moment, Yami Bakura feared that Malik's eyes would narrow into that intense glare he was so familiar with in the Battle Ship finals.

But Malik was fine and apparently recovered quite easily from the strange attack, managing to convince himself that it was only a very intense sudden headache. Even though both the pharaoh and Yami Bakura perceived it to be more.

//Yami, what's wrong with Malik?//

//He says he's fine// Yami Bakura answered Ryou simply, even though he believed otherwise. Keeping Ryou oblivious to the foreboding event that concerned Malik was still one of Yami Bakura's top priorities.

//You seemed convinced otherwise// Ryou tentatively said.

Yami Bakura gritted his teeth, of all the times Ryou had to be _observant_. Why can't his light stay blissfully ignorant as usual? It would save them both so much trouble. Since he couldn't come up with a suitable reply, Yami Bakura remained silent.

After a short moment, Ryou sighed. //Nevermind//, he relented //Would you mind letting me out now?//

//I'll walk us back to the dormitories, I'll give you control then// Yami Bakura said, with that, he brought his barriers up without giving the other boy a chance to question him any further. He looked at Yami, who was standing beside McGonagall. He and the pharaoh needed to talk.

He walked towards them and gave Mcgonnagal a nasty look. "We can walk back ourselves, thank you."

The professor looked down at him, nostrils flared in anger. Yami flashed Yami Bakura an annoyed look before looking apologetically at McGonagall, "We'll just go ahead, professor, Bakura and I have…we need to discuss some things…"

McGonagall seemed placated by Yami's polite request. She gave the two Gryffindors a calculating look, her lips pursed all the while. "I trust that you'll get right to bed afterwards?"

"Of course, professor," Yami said loudly, attempting and not-really succeeding in drowning out Yami Bakura's, "You want to tuck us in just to be sure?"

"You are very fortunate that Professor Dumbledore requested me to overlook your blatant display of disrespect," McGonagall said almost wearily, looking at the tomb robber. "I will never understand how such a mild-mannered and kind person like your other self could put up with you for so long."

"Practice," Yami Bakura replied loftily. He then strutted away, gesturing for Yami to follow, "Come on, pharaoh."

After hastily muttering a "Goodnight" to McGonagall, Yami jogged after Bakura to catch up. The more sinister dark had already turned around the corner and appeared to have no intention whatsoever of slowing down his brisk pace and waiting for him.

They didn't speak for a while, Yami thinking that Yami Bakura wanted to make sure that they were really alone before initiating the conversation. Almost a full minute passed before the first word was spoken.

"Yugi?" Yami Bakura said at the corner of his mouth. He didn't look at the shorter duelist and maintained his walking pace.

Yami answered, "I told him to rest, he's sleeping in his soul room."

He nodded. "Good."

A moment of silence, Yami became aware of the biting cold that swept over the castle. He wrapped his scarf tighter around his neck.

"Was that…what happened to Malik…" he ventured carefully, "Do you think…"

"I don't think it's what my predictions were referring to," Yami Bakura said, voice hard and stiff, "It's probably just a prelude, a warning."

"So…it's going to happen soon."

Yami Bakura stopped walking. His head was bowed, and from where Yami stood, he could see his clenched fists.

"Bakura, maybe…I dunno…if we did warn Malik—"

"Like I told you before; I don't want to play into fate's hands. We could never be sure whether we'd be helping the situation or making it _worse_." Yami Bakura's voice was irritated and weary.

"That's just it; we're _not _sure!" Yami said exasperatedly. He understood the other's fear of causing the chain of events that could possibly lead to their fall, but why was he so adamant about doing nothing at all when it looked like doing so would produce the same outcome (as far as things were going) anyway?

Yami Bakura's head snapped up, his eyes were practically glowing with rage. "If you feel like being responsible for the rebirth of Malik's dark side, pharaoh…then by all means! Go on ahead! Maybe you want to tell him now? I'll even accompany you to the Slytherin dormitories!"

Yami was taken aback by the other's outburst. "I don't—"

"After all, _you're _the _savior _of the world, aren't you? Lord knows what it would do to your conscience if you failed to eliminate the _threat_," his brown eyes narrowed.

"I'm not going to _eliminate _Malik!" Yami countered

Yami Bakura snorted. "So you say."

"It's more like something _you'd _do, anyways," Yami growled.

Yami Bakura never felt inclined to punch the other's face more than now. But he restrained himself. He knew getting along with the pharaoh would be difficult. He didn't really expect to get along with him as well as he did with Malik. Unfortunately, Yami was the sole person he shared the secret of the tarot cards with. So not there was not much choice except to tolerate each other.

"Malik…_mustn't_ know," he said with a tone of finality.

"That particular fact isn't really helping."

"You think so? Well, do _you _have any suggestions?" Yami Bakura said sarcastically. Yami remained silent, Yami Bakura snorted, "I guess not."

"Wait," the other said abruptly, "Just…consider the possibility that telling Malik _won't _cause some disaster. If the future according to your readings doesn't change, let's say…after around a week or so from now…I want you to at least think about telling him. Maybe it would actually help, maybe us leaving him oblivious _will _be the cause of him losing control."

Yami saw Yami Bakura scrutinize him for a moment. The tomb robber gritted his teeth, the pharaoh's request was somehow reasonable enough. Though he wasn't so sure that he'd actually _do _it, he was willing to give it the benefit of doubt for now.

"Fine. But I'm not guaranteeing anything."

"Thank you," Yami sighed, truly grateful for the tomb robber's compliance.

Yami Bakura merely grunted. "He'll be pissed off when he finds out that we've been keeping this from him for so long."

'And his birthday's coming, too' he winced inwardly, 'Talk about bad timing…'

---

He could feel something bitingly cold encircling his body. Still half-conscious, he shifted a bit, and found the bindings around him to be nearly unmovable. His back was against something hard; stone, he guessed numbly.

A pair of tired yet still cool-as-ever blue eyes slowly opened. His vision sharpened, and the first thing he registered in his sight was…

'What the—this is…'

A large expanse of stone, crumbling and clearly ancient, was laid out in front of him. Engraved all over it were hieroglyphics, some already indecipherable due to the tablet's age. But there, smack at its center, was him and Yugi, forever posed in a duel.

It was the Tablet of the Nameless Pharaoh. He remembered it well, considering Isis Ishtar forced visions in his mind of that ancient battle before, and the not-easily-forgettable image of his and Yugi's ancient selves. But why was it here? Wasn't Isis supposed to be guarding the ancient artifact in that museum of hers?

And…why was _he _here, he couldn't remember. Everything was blurred, his memories fuzzy.

"Where…where am I?" he croaked, voice strangely raspy and hoarse. His head was swimming, and he felt awfully dizzy. He moved to cradle his forehead with his hand but was only reminded of the rather constricting position he was in.

He blearily looked down at his body. He was still wearing his customary business suit, though said item was now dirty and stained. Chains were wound up all around his torso, pressing his body against the stone pillar tightly and also holding his arms firmly at his sides. He struggled for a moment, testing the chains' strength.

Even after a minute of wriggling, his bindings didn't loose an inch. So he stopped, this time focusing to recall what had happened, and what led to him being tied to some filthy old pillar with an ancient tablet displayed in front of him and it what seemed like as some sort of medieval torture chamber. He had a strange feeling he was not in Japan anymore, he was fairly sure there were no castle theme parks in Domino City, and being quite knowledgeable of the industry due to handling Kaiba Land (though confident of its success, he still made it a practice to check up on his competitors), he knew of no industry that could afford something as extravagant and realistic as his current setting.

A completely ridiculous thought floated on his head, which he immediately blamed on the bearable yet irritating migraine he currently had; Maybe this was a real dungeon.

Seto snorted, dismissing the childish thought at once. Mokuba might believe such things, were he be the one to wake up in his place, but—

His train of thought stopped dead. _'Mokuba!' _

Everything rushed back into his mind in a frenzy; The council meeting, greeting the curious English investor, the blinding lights, Mokuba's blank soulless eyes, that damnable magician controlling his brother, Mokuba's tear-streaked face as he watched Seto being dragged away…

The boy had then rushed towards him suddenly, having been released from whatever spell he was subjected to, only to realize that they were taking his older brother away. One of the English men waved the infernal rod and Mokuba was pushed back with such force he crashed against the nearby wall. Seto had felt his blood boil and his feet moved at its own accord, intent on getting beside his dear brother. But then he registered a flash of red at the corner of his vision, and he blacked out. They didn't even give him a chance to say goodbye to his brother, even after he complied with their demands. They even went as far as to knock him _unconscious._

"Bastards…" he growled. "If they harmed Mokuba, I swear I'll—"

"My, _my_, aren't _you_ a fiery-tongued one…What a welcome change…" the voice sounded amused, the tone light, though Seto could feel the coldness behind the man's words.

"Who's there?" Seto demanded. He tried to look behind his shoulder, but the chains did not allow much movement and the pillar obstructed his view.

"Tsk tsk tsk, manners, Mr. Kaiba…is that any way to speak to your host?" whoever it was said mockingly. The voice sounded closer than before.

"Some host you are," he spat. "I agreed to come quietly, didn't I? And yet you felt the need to tie me to a pillar."

A chilling laugh echoed against the damp stone walls. "I guess I've been rather…paranoid lately, my visitors recently had a nasty habit of disappearing right in the middle of our…bondings," he paused, Seto had the feeling the man was taking a moment to smile. "But do not worry, Seto Kaiba…"

The brown-haired teenager heard sharp yet deliberately slow footsteps walking towards him. Strange that he didn't hear them before.

"I'll make sure that you're stay will be…memorable," Something black walked into his vision. The man was wearing a ragged yet undeniably sinister-looking cloak that seemed to move with a non-existent wind. He caught a glimpse of a white clawed hand poking out of the figure's dark robes. And then suddenly, he found a face, all too-snake-like to be human, inches from his own. If Seto hadn't been tied down, he would've jumped back in shock.

The man's face was pale, a deathly white that couldn't possibly be natural, his eyes were slanted and cruel, his nostrils slits that didn't look _human _anymore. Seto felt fear bubble in his gut.

The man gave him a wicked fanged smile, "Lord Voldemort, after all, is always the _most gracious_, most _generous _host, one can ever hope for…"

----------

**I know you probably want to strangle me. Unfortunately you can't, because you don't know who I am, so HA! **

**Joking, joking :D**

**Well, Kaiba's in deep poopies, poor guy. And Mokuba's traumatized. Not to mention Malik's…experiencing mental difficulties (haha, oh I love that guy). Yami keeping a secret from Yugi is definitely NOT good (for their relationship). And Bakura's protecting Ryou's emotional health :P**

**One reviewer asked whether there would be a Bakura/Malik pairing in this fic. White Angel did give me free reins, but no, I've decided to keep this story yaoi/shonen-ai/slash-free. You've got like a zillion yaoi fics out there, no need to add this one in the blender, am I right?**

**Don't get me wrong though, I admit that I'm a yaoi fan (like around 90 percent of the YGO fandom). But I know my boundaries. You'll probably murder me if I DID decide to pair Malik and Bakura, and say I'm ruining a perfectly good story or something. Don't stone me when I say I do personally like that pairing though.**

**But rest assured, I'm not gonna let my personal interests get in the way of the story. You have my word!**

**Now that I've eased your souls…I'm gonna turn my attention to my OWN fics (which have been collecting dust for a while). I'm sorely tempted to advertise them, but I won't because it would make me look…bad. Maybe next time :D. THEN you could see how differently I write when I'm not dealing with TNS.**

**Pray that the next chapter will come faster than this one. I'll tell you right now, that things are about to get…very nasty for one of our characters. And I strangely feel excited about writing that part…You wouldn't want to miss it! **

**And since this note is long enough, I'd just like to end this with a thank you and a heartfelt "sorry" for taking so long. **


	45. Chilling Conversations

Yeah, here you go

**Yeah, here you go. I'm not dead (yeah, a shame), and I hope those who've been following this story are still alive, too. **

**No excuses. Just know that I've started college (though that fact has nothing to do with **_**this**_** late update. I'm just lazy. Yay).**

**But really, you wanna know why I've been stagnant for the past (almost) 10 months? Half of it's mainly due to laziness, but the other half is because of me having yet another one of my fandom-obsession phases.**

**I'm being sucked in by the Naruto fandom (try to pull me back XD). You'll be pleased (I think), to know that I have yet to contribute anything to the fandom because I'm being held down by you YGO people. Yes, you have that much of an effect in my internet life.**

**I ignore all the urges for me to sit down and write an Itachi (if you're a fan of him, give me a shout :D) fic by reminding myself that I have TNS still in-progress (and my own fics that are probably on the verge of decomposition right about now).**

**But now that I've updated, I think I could let myself go for a while.**

**Hmm, let's hope you won't kill me by the end of this chapter.**

--

Chapter 44

Chilling Conversations

**--**

Voldemort was impressed by the boy's ability to maintain his composure. His eyes were wide, true, and there was definitely fear reflected in that frigid stare he was struggling to keep (there was only one man who could match his gaze, and Voldemort intended to kill him soon enough), but his face was controlled and carefully made blank. This Seto Kaiba, it seemed, had a firm hold of his emotions. To meet Lord Voldemort's stare head-on is a commendable feat.

Amazing, really. Especially for a muggle.

He decided to see just how far his prisoner could stretch his control.

A small gust of air was the only indication that Voldemort had moved. Seto had not even blinked, yet he missed the course of action that pale-white hand took. All his eyes registered was a blur of black. The next thing he knew, the wooden tip of Voldemort's wand was pointed between his eyes, just barely touching his sweaty skin. Seto felt like someone was pointing a loaded gun at his head.

Voldemort did not miss the repressed jolt of shock that seemed to reverberate through Seto's frame. His malicious grin widened a notch.

"Now, now," Voldemort said in mock-comfort, "You don't need to be afraid, Mr. Kaiba. Fortunately for you, I need you alive for the moment."

Seto said nothing in return. He only stared straight ahead, trying in vain to ignore the other's wand aimed point-blank at his brain.

"What do you need from me?" he said evenly. He felt a bit proud at succeeding in keeping his voice level, as if unaffected by the whole situation in general, when in truth, he was shaking inside.

"Hmm, direct to the point. I suppose it is what one could expect from such a professional businessman such as yourself," still grinning, Voldemort withdrew his wand, stepped back a few steps, and turned around casually. Seto had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief.

Only minutes into their first meeting and the boy was already showing signs of fear. Voldemort could sense apprehension and unsettlement bubbling beneath Seto's carefully controlled façade. Unseen to his captive, Voldemort smirked. As impressive as Seto's front was, it was inevitable that he'd give in sooner or later. And _then_, those Items of dark power would draw closer to his grasp. His victory would start when Seto Kaiba divulged the facts that he needed. And Voldemort was determined to make Seto _sing_.

"Information, Mr. Kaiba, nothing more," he said, still facing away from Seto "If you comply without myself needing to resort to less than civil methods of persuasion…I could have you back at home, safe, and with your little brother as soon as tomorrow."

Seto felt worry and anger boil inside him at the mention of Mokuba.

"I know nothing about your world. One of your people has already contacted me, and he went away empty-handed. What makes you think _now _will be any different?" he said bluntly.

This caused Voldemort's brow to rise in curiosity. He faced Seto once more. "Oh? And who might this person be?"

Seto snorted, his fear momentarily subsiding as he recalled the absurdity of his meeting with Dumbledore. "An old man, ancient, must've been senile as well. His name was Dumbledore, if I remember correctly. Like you, he broke in without permission and tried to persuade me to come with him."

A brief silent pause, and then to his surprise, Voldemort started to laugh. Apparently, something about what he had said greatly amused him. "Ah! My dear old teacher. Clever…how clever of him to seek you out. But how _foolish_ of him to allow you to escape his grasp so easily," his eyes twinkled with twisted glee, "I wonder what he's thinking now, seeing as I have you. The fool must be regretting not whisking you away by force. But I suppose that will always be Dumbledore's flaw…and that's why I can defeat him."

The other's red eyes caught his again, and Seto felt himself freeze. Even the slow rise and fall of his chest seemed to be trying to make itself even less conspicuous.

"And _that's _why _our _conversation will yield more productive results," Voldemort moved towards him, and Seto felt fear rise within him again. "Do not compare me with people like Dumbledore, Mr. Kaiba. I have less patience," now that he was close enough, he raised one hand and placed all five fingers on Seto's forehead, splayed out. "Whether by your own will or mine I _will _get what I want eventually. In truth, I could _pull_ out all your thoughts, your memories, should I desire…"

Seto felt Voldemort increase the pressure of his fingers on his head. It took all he had to restrain his urge to thrash around just to get those horribly, inhumanely,cold fingers _off_.

"In this instant, at this very moment…"

He wouldn't lower himself to screaming. So Seto settled for closing his eyes, mentally preparing himself for some unknown torture. What would it be like, he wondered, for someone to start tearing through your mind? He preferred not knowing the answer to that question, yet it seemed that he was about to find out, whether he liked it or not.

Seto gritted his teeth.

A second passed.

He felt the tips of Voldemort's fingers shift slightly.

Two seconds.

Will he be conscious throughout it all? He hoped not. But judging from what he'd seen so far, this Voldemort seemed to enjoy making his victims squirm. He expected the dark lord has a fondness for torture as well.

Three seconds. Still nothing. What was taking him so long?

"Now…" drawled Voldemort's voice. Seto braced himself.

He felt the fingers leave his skin.

"I'll give you some time to think, Seto Kaiba."

'W-What?' he was absently glad that he did not voice that thought. Even in his head, his voice sounded weak and pathetic, and most of all _afraid_.

"I would be happy to invade your mind. But unfortunately, forcing entry into one's head tends to leave…severe damage that will likely hinder me from extracting all the crucial information I may need. It will be much easier, for both you and I if you'd just tell me willingly."

"Tell you…willingly?" Seto repeated numbly, mind still muddled by the stress of the moment.

"I have a nice stock of Veritaserum, so I can be assured that all you tell me will be the truth. I'm being very considerate, giving you this much of a choice in the matter."

Still caught in a daze, Seto barely registered Voldemort striding away. The words he spoke next still rang clear in his ears though. "You are an intelligent man, Mr. Kaiba. I actually find it quite a shame that you're a muggle…" he sighed, "Such potential wasted. Nonetheless, I trust that a mind as sharp as yours will have no trouble in choosing the best course of action…"

Voldemort seemed to blend in with the background until he was lost to Seto's vision.

His voice spoke for the last time, "We'll talk again soon."

Then he was gone.

The air was significantly lighter, it was as if Voldemort caused such pressure to bear down on his surroundings and Seto was finally free of it. He exhaled, deep and long, his breath shuddering.

'Damn it…_damn it_…' he shouted mentally. 'God…I don't think I can take any more of this…' he grimaced. He felt a twinge of self-disgust. How weak it must be of him to cave in so easily. Sure he had so far revealed nothing to Voldemort, but to see how pathetic his state is after such a short and relatively uneventful encounter with the dark lord was very unnerving.

Voldemort had yet to cause him any form of pain. All he had done so far was threaten, give subtle hints of what _could _be waiting for him should he prove to be a hassle. And yet Seto felt like he was just about to give in.

In fact, he was a bit thankful for the chains securing him on his spot, otherwise he would've crumpled to his knees when Voldemort had his fingers spread across his head.

'Get a grip…calm down,' Seto told himself, 'Think. Use that brain of yours…there must be some way to escape from here,' he looked down at his chained body and shifted experimentally, trying to at least free one of his arms. The cavern echoed with its rattling, and Seto was not at all surprised to see that no amount of struggling was going to yield results. All he succeeded in doing was make his limbs sore, not to mention adding a nice collection of red scrapes and bruises from all his movement against the rusty chains.

"_Ah…this is disappointing. Not another bony one…"_

Seto froze immediately. The voice, whoever it was, was too close for comfort. Did Voldemort send one of his subordinates to watch over him? If this was so, then he would have to bid goodbye to all hope of escaping.

"_A shame…why couldn't that meaty one fail instead?" _the complaining continued.

Deciding that he had nothing to lose, Seto gathered up a bit of courage and demanded, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

A few seconds of silence followed that nearly convinced Seto that he had been imagining things. But the voice spoke again, _"Oh, he hears me, does he? The stringy, bony…"_

Feeling confused and slightly offended, Seto repeated with a tone of irritation, "Stringy and bony?" Honestly, are these people aiming to humiliate and demean him as well? He gritted his teeth in frustration. He was about to once more demand that the hidden person show her face (for by the voice, he judged the owner to be female) when something slid in front of his vision that very nearly made the fear he felt in Voldemort's presence return.

He was looking into the yellow eyes of a green serpent. The snake was so close that Seto could've counted the scales on its head if he wanted to. Another inch or two and his nose and its snout would've been touching.

At this point, Seto could not conceal his fear. He unconsciously reasoned that this was an animal, and there was no point in hiding something that it could find out by its heightened senses alone. Maybe this was another one of Voldemort's mind tricks, something to 'aid' in his decision-making perhaps.

The snake had yet to move, its lidless eyes staring at his own. Seto's love for dragons did not extend to their belly-crawling relatives. With nothing else to do, Seto resorted in trying to convince himself that the impossibly large snake was a mere hologram, or at least, a figment of his surely more-than-disturbed imagination as of the moment.

However, the sensation of a tongue flickering against his cheek sent all his hopes flying out the window. The reptile had leaned forward just slightly, and was examining him.

"_Oh, you _hear _me," _the voice spoke once more, Seto was shocked to see that it seemed to be coming from the animal in front of him. He must be losing his mind, he concluded numbly; snakes didn't talk and they even lacked the requirements to make speech possible (even _if _they, for some reason, could understand human language). It was scientifically impossible.

But this particular snake seemed to be taunting him by speaking again, _"This is surprising. I wonder if my master knows?"_ for some reason or another, Seto sensed a slight change in the snake's expression. The way it had tilted its head slightly to the side gave Seto the impression that was adapting a thoughtful look.

"Why can you talk?" Seto said, barely above a whisper. "What freakish creature are you?" since he cannot make any sense of the situation, Seto resorted to hoping that it could answer his questions for him.

The snake almost seemed to laugh. It had drawn its scaly head back, fanged mouth opening. _"The freak is you, skinny human," _it said with obvious amusement, _"You're speaking _my _language. Didn't you know?"_

"W-What? What language? I'm speaking plain—"

"_Parseltongue."_

"Excuse me?"

It laughed again and slid out of his vision. When Seto felt something crawl up his leg and torso, he couldn't help but shudder. The texture of smooth scales met the back of his neck as the snake settled itself comfortably around his shoulders. He tried not to think about its body wrapping tight around his throat.

"_Calm yourself, human. Your fear is not needed. I have lost any of the little desire that I had of eating you," _the snake positioned its head by his ear.

Seto debated whether he should ask why.

Probaby sensing his confusion, it continued, _"Not only do you look less than satisfying for a full meal, but let's be honest…" _it extended it's neck and came back fully in Seto's field of vision, staring at him once more with those unsettling slitted-pupil eyes, _"it would be rather difficult to eat something that talks back. I rarely share my master's desire for torture. If I had my way, I'd just eat those disobedient servants and be done with it, but he prefers to toy with them first."_

He swallowed, the inside of his throat felt dry. "So you're…you're what? That Voldemort's pet?"

"_Oh, I'm much more than a mere pet of 'that Voldemort'," _ its mouth split into a semblance of a grin. _"I am Nagini. You could say that I am his closest companion."_

Seto remained silent. Learning that Voldemort also had snakes doing his bidding made him dread the dark lord's return even more. Not only did the man _look _snake-like, but he seemed to have a fondness for them as well.

Nagini appeared to be muttering to herself_, "Another unfulfilling meal awaits me. I had wished that fat one to have failed. Unfortunate for both you and I that he's managed to blunder his way through."_

He found this interesting. "You seem to prefer that your master's plans fail. Aren't you on suppose to be on his side?" he ventured to ask. The talking snake, this Nagini, still unnerved him, but it was unlikely that she'll harm him. He judged this by Voldemort saying that he needed him undamaged and alive, as well as to the snake's apparent dislike for his lack of body fat.

"_Oh, do not misunderstand me. I am loyal to my master…but I have my own interests as well. I _am _a snake after all," _she flicked out her forked tongue. Seto fought the urge to cringe as it tickled the shell of his ear. Seto felt a newfound abhorrence to the family of slithering reptiles. Not that he has ever been fond of them before. In fact, he had more or less avoided any contact with snakes in the span of his short life.

"I…I see…"

Seto tried to compose himself. He found his mind working. If what Nagini expressed was true (and not some sort of act to lure him into a trap), then the present situation could be taken advantage of. He struggled to keep focused as Nagini started moving, circling around his head once more.

This snake, he thought, is still just an animal. Clearly it has shown intelligence, but the fact that it's not human, that it's driven by its own needs and instincts instead of goals and ambitions stayed true. Nagini's preference that she have a filling meal as opposed to her master's subordinates (and therefore, Voldemort's plans) succeeding can attest to this.

His previously troubled eyes cleared by the time Nagini had her whole body coiled around his shoulders.

He opened his mouth to speak, praying that he would speak the right words.

"Am I really that unappetizing?" he asked flatly.

Nagini paused in her movements and gave him a look. _"You, dear boy, would not even be worth an appetizer once you're in my belly."_

Seto nodded submissively. "And this…meaty one you seem so keen in devouring…"

"_He'll fill me up wonderfully. I would probably need nothing to eat for a month," _a hungry look was apparent in her eyes.

With a bit of effort, Seto continued their considerably unsettling conversation. "It is truly a shame then, that you'll probably never get to eat him."

"_Yes. If only you hadn't let yourself be caught so easily, I would be feasting on his flesh by now," _she said in a tone that seemed to suggest that this was all _his _fault.

"If I may give a suggestion for your…predicament…" there it was, he said it. If Nagini rose and took the bait…

Nagini did not reply at once. Seto had to endure her scales scraping around his neck as she maneuvered herself at a certain distance in front of him to have a full view of his face. A little more than half of her body was still on his.

"_And what is it that you will suggest?"_

It took him a moment to answer, "If I had escaped…your master will put the blame on the man in-charge of me and my capture," Nagini's eyes seemed to narrow though she seemed quite interested, he took this as a good sign and continued, "If I were to get away, you will get to have your desired meal after all."

Seto tried to maintain his composure when he felt the snake's length tighten ever so slightly around his neck. He immediately started doubting whether this was a good idea, or if he'd just quickened the pace of his death.

"_Are you implying that I should release you, just so my stomach will be satisfied?" _she asked accusingly.

Seto, without looking away, and just succeeding in keeping his voice from shaking, said, "Yes, I am."

He half-expected Nagini to bite him after his blatant admittance. And sure enough, the snake quickly slid her head close, eyes glinting. 'Idiot, idiot, _idiot! _Of course she wouldn't betray Voldemort! What the hell were you _thinking?!_' Seto braced himself for pain.

What he got instead, was the now-familiar sensation of Nagini's tongue flickering on his skin. He had to cross his eyes, since she had her snout on his nose. Seto refrained from expressing his discomfort.

Her eyes were genuinely amused. _"A bold proposition to make, Seto Kaiba. _Too _bold for a supposed muggle such as yourself to make…but nonetheless impressive."_

Seto said nothing, but dared to hope.

"_I do not doubt that my master will have his victory soon enough. But it troubles me to think how sparse my meals will be when that time comes," _she mused, _"I suppose it will matter little if I _hinder _his plans just a tiny bit for my own ends_," she bared her fangs. Seto's eyes widened and he jerked involuntarily in his bindings, trying to get away even when he knew very well that he could not.

Nagini struck, fast and sure.

Seto stopped moving.

The chains around his body fell noisily.

"W-What…?" this time, he couldn't hide the signs of weakness in his voice.

Nagini slithered down his body, coming to rest on the stone floor. She eyed him, _"I see the logic in your proposal. My master, as close as our bond may be, cannot read my thoughts. He cannot tread through the mind of an animal and hope to grasp an understanding of it even with his dark power. So I am safe from blame in your 'escape'."_

She started to smoothly crawl across the room, Seto could only stare after her dumbly. He could hardly believe what had just happened.

Nagini gave him a sideways look. _"Don't dawdle. Follow me."_

Not knowing what else to do, Seto did. He stood up, wincing at the soreness of his stiff limbs. He glanced at the chains that just moments ago had held his body, focusing at the section Nagini had bitten through with unnatural ease. He did not want to think of the alternate scenario wherein those deadly fangs would've sank into his body instead.

He started to walk forward, following the green snake in an absent-minded way. He refused to think about where Nagini could be leading him, or what was in store for him next. He even refused to think about the possibility that she was only leading him on, and that he will come face-to-face with Voldemort in a matter of minutes.

But Nagini only took him to the other side of his dungeon-like prison. Seto squinted his eyes in the dim lighting, and was surprised to notice an empty fireplace. He did not know what to make of this and so just kept walking until he was but a couple of feet away from Nagini's coiled body.

The snake appraised him for a moment before turning her head towards a small pot beside her. Seto followed her gaze.

"_This is Floo Powder. Grab a handful, step into the fireplace, and voice out your destination before throwing it at your feet. I personally abhor this method of traveling, but it's fast, and obviously, that's what we need right now."_

Seto did not even try to question how a pot of dust could be a mode of transportation. He reached out and grabbed as much of the powder his hand could carry, and stepped into the fireplace.

Nagini watched him. _"Hurry now, muggle. Or we will be found out."_

He gave a slight nod. "Domino City, Japan," he enunciated clearly and released his hold on the floo powder. The emerald-green flames that shot up afterwards shocked him more than he was willing to admit. And for a moment, he worried that Nagini had tricked him, and he had unwittingly burned himself alive.

Then after a few seconds of blurs, the feel of rapid spinning, and utmost confusion he felt his face smack down hard on the surface of a wooden floor. He did not recognize the unfamiliar strangers rushing towards him (thankfully, from what he could somehow discern, they were Japanese), but he didn't particularly care as well.

--

"Dear, dear, too few of you have made any progress since our studies of the tarot," Professor Trelawney sighed in disappointment. "The rarity of those gifted with the inner eye these times worries me."

The majority of the class shifted uncomfortably on their seats, wondering if this meant that they should expect failing marks by the end of the term, or that their professor was merely acting like her overly-dramatic self.

"Now, I am hoping for better results on our new lesson. Meditating is a fairly simple, not to mention a relaxing task…"

Ryou barely heard Trelawney's words. He had his cheek resting on one hand as he gazed at his textbook. An outsider would've assumed that he was doing some intense reading, when in actuality he was having a very heated conversation with himself (in a manner of speaking).

/You're stressing yourself out over nothing, Ryou/ was his dark's simple reply when he expressed his strangely troubled feelings.

Ryou was unconvinced, /_You _seem awfully tense today as well, I noticed/

Yami Bakura refused to be cornered, /Your emotions are leaking, that's why/

Outwardly, Ryou frowned as he and Yami Bakura continued their conversation. Really, his dark side was giving him too little credit when it comes to finding things out. Ryou could admit that he had a tendency to be clueless most of the time, but he would be a fool to ignore the constant restlessness of his mind.

/You're probably just excited about this whole…Christmas feast thing/ Yami Bakura said offhandedly.

/I am/ Ryou admitted, /But that's not it. And why in the world would I be stressing about Christmas?/

The other only mentally shrugged.

/Our minds work in different ways, Ryou/ he said, /You can't expect me to understand _all _of your weird personality quirks/

Now that was just low, Ryou thought. Yami Bakura smirked when his other self unwittingly sent it through their mind link.

/Well, at least this is the last day of classes. Maybe the Christmas break will help me feel better/ he mumbled.

/You're probably stressed by all the last-minute schoolwork your sadist professors have been handing out/ Yami Bakura said. But though he maintained a casual and light tone in his words, Ryou had reminded him of a rather unpleasant fact. If tomorrow's the start of the students' break, then that would mean…

/It's tomorrow…/

/What?/ Ryou asked, a bit confused.

Yami Bakura felt like smacking himself for the words that he had thoughtlessly let slip in their shared mind. He recovered fast enough, though, /Tomorrow's the start of your vacation/

/That's right/ Ryou said skeptically, /So…?/ he was certain that Yami Bakura's voice held some sort of dread when he had spoken.

Before anything else could happen, Ryou was jarred back to the real world by Professor Trelawney's voice.

"Mr. Bakura, are you alright?"

Ryou blinked a couple of times before realizing that Trelawney was standing in front of his table, concern apparent in her magnified eyes. A quick glance around the room showed the class adapting meditating positions, Ryou realized that he was the only who had yet to move. Yugi along with Harry and Ron even had their eyes closed already (though Ryou noticed with a hint of amusement that Ron appeared to be at the verge of sleep, judging by the way his mouth was slightly ajar). He had come a bit late in class and so had to chose from the few seats available, which is why he ended up sitting at the other side of the room.

"I…pardon me, professor," he said apologetically, he gave her a sheepish smile. "Just a lot of things in my mind, sorry for spacing out."

The concern did not leave her eyes. Ryou was without a doubt the one with the most potential in all of the classes she had; it troubled her to see him so pre-occupied. She'd seen many cases where potential seers have been lost, and did not want to lose such talent as Ryou's that easily.

"Oh, it's perfectly alright, dear," she said gently. She regarded him for a moment, "Mr. Bakura, would it be alright if I speak to you in my office…say, tomorrow? I believe I have a nice collection of books that you'd find interesting. They could take your mind of the things that seem to be troubling you."

"Oh, well…" Ryou hesitated. For some reason, he felt Yami Bakura become unsettled, though the tomb robber seemed to be struggling to keep this to himself. What was this about? He resolved to question his other self about this later.

He was about to refuse when the feeling suddenly vanished and he noticed the expectant look Trelawney was giving him. "…I suppose I can find the time," he said with a smile. She then left him to join his other classmates in meditation.

Yami Bakura gritted his teeth in frustration, and clenched his fists, letting bouts of worry, and dread—everything he had been fighting to keep from Ryou, out in torrents in the confines of his soul room.

'That was too close,' he thought.

He had originally planned to spend the entire day by Malik's side tomorrow, after hearing how the other boy felt about his birthday. But it seems that he wouldn't be able to. Not with this teacher-student appointment Ryou had scheduled with that batty professor.

He had promised to keep Malik's birthday a secret, so obviously, telling Ryou was not an option. Doing so would only lead to questions as to _why _he's so keen in spending time with Malik on his birthday. Ryou knew him well enough that the typical, "Well, he's my friend after all," reply would only serve to make things even more suspicious than how it was.

Though he guessed there was some truth in that statement. He wanted to keep an eye on Malik since it was obvious that his friend needed someone to distract him from the terrible memories the day awakened, and Yami Bakura knew that he was the only one that Malik will accept in his company.

The true, more important reason however, is that if there was one day that would be the most likely for Malik's dark side to return…then it was without a doubt tomorrow. He wasn't entirely sure of this of course, but he would be a fool to just let the day slide as normal and not worthy of caution.

But if he wanted Ryou to remain oblivious, then he would just have to sit his meeting with Trelawney out. The second they're done, he'd assume control and seek Malik in whatever crevice the blonde might've dug out to mope or something.

Yami Bakura only wished that _that _would be the extent of what Malik would be doing in his birthday. Hopefully, the third, and most dangerous dark side of their trio will not be given life a second time.

--

**Just to reassure you all. I'm feeling that the next chapter will come along faster. Because, **_**this **_**is the part I've been waiting for even when I had yet to takeover White Angel's work. You can say that it's the part I've been dying to read **_**and **_**write about since the beginning.**

**It's gonna be so deliciously evil :).**

**Also, I'd like to address any issues you may have about Nagini. I know very well that there are some inconsistencies with her in canon and how she was described here (as well as her bond with Voldemort). This is due to the fact that all the events of this story have been finalized BEFORE Harry Potter 6 and 7 were released. **

**Now…to make up for the long wait. I'm posting the link to my profile now. **

**Here: ****/u/1151680/dolphinabottle****. If you can't get through by the link, just search my username or something XD. I just had this realization that whenever someone must be nagging for the story to be updated, they'd go to White Angel, and it felt kinda unfair that she has to suffer the consequences of my super special awesome **_**slow **_**updates by herself. Now you can nag **_**me **_**(and her)**_**! **_**And I could reply to your reviews by PM, a bonus. Feel free to drop me a word or two.**

**Besides, I think I've remained unnamed for long enough.**

**And you'd be able to see my how I write without the pressure of the epicness of TNS. **


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